Students and teachers throughout North Battleford and area have returned to the classroom this month, enthusiastically greeting the new school year. In addition to addressing the list of supplies needed, many will have considered the challenge of what to wear. A glance back into the past, to the early part of the 20th century, will not help in this endeavour but makes for an interesting visit.
Photos in the collection housed at the Don Ross Centre Archives room reveal that in 1916, the boys attending the North Battleford High School were wearing tweed caps and plus fours, while the girls in Grade 6 and 7 at King Street School favoured the drop waist dress, so fashionable during this period. Not be to upstaged, the ladies of the teaching staff of Connaught School in 1914 were an elegant group, sporting elaborate hats so in vogue at the time. It remains a mystery if the high collar worn by the principal of the school, Ira Lawrence, was comfortable or not.
Ira Lawrence, after whom Lawrence School was later named, remained principal at Connaught School for 19 and one half years. In addition to the other members of the teaching staff, the photograph features Effie and Lillian Bready on the bottom step and it was after their family that Bready School was given its name.
While the City of North Battleford Historic Archives Committee members cannot help you with your wardrobe choices, we do wish student and teachers in the community a successful year in the classroom. One word of advice from Paris Hilton, "The only rule (in fashion) is don't be boring and dress cute wherever you go. Life is too short to blend in." One might ask why a quote from Paris appears in an article from the Archives committee? The answer is simple: so that 100 years from now, people will find the fashions of 2012 as interesting as we find those of the past.
Thanks should be given to Gladys Dewing and Hildur Short who donated the photos that are contained in the Lorne Cooper files for this article.
