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Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Friends Select School basketball team." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
This school is now known as Sidwell Friends. It's where the Obama girls go to school. It is not affiliated with the Quakers in a formal sense, but it does have Quaker roots and philosophy. See http://www.sidwell.edu.
This is the school now known as Sidwell Friends. According to the school's history page, the "Friends' Select School" name was changed to just "Friends' School" as early as 1906. "Sidwells' Friends School" was used in some contexts until the death of Mrs. Sidwell in 1934, and the school was reorganized as "The Sidwell Friends School" at that time and remains so.
The school has some historic photos available online, though none are presented in resolutions similar to Shorpy. One picture in particular seems to include some of the same people as in this image.
Thanks for the change of pace.
Very nice to see some people/girls for a change. It's fun to see their clothing and the hair styles of the period.
All those buildings and vehicles get to be a little boring after a while.
The third girl from the right is the only one with long hair (notice the bow) and I reckon she would have been a very pretty young lady with her hair let down.
All are wearing the same footwear, but two left their good leggings at home.
I think the girl who is third from the right is a smidgen taller than the girl to her left.
I'd sweat too if I had to wear 'em!
Identical uniforms and shoes. Identical socks? Not so much.
Quite the bloomer uniforms! And I hope they trimmed the edges of the photo if they put this in the yearbook - the junk on the floor is embarrassing.
I think they are all cute, though. This is the year my mother was born (Cue the Beatles song, "Your Mother Shoud Know"!)
Lots of links online about Friends Select in Philadelphia.
White Middy blouses with dark ties and School Logo, dark bloomers and high top white sneakers. Hosiery patterns and colors optional.
Are these affiliated with the Quaker friends? Very "progressive" even back then...
I always find it amazing how alike many of the ladies look to our ladies of today yet how different they look. It seems that there was much more of an ethnic look to people back then than today.
That being said, the 3rd from the right...Yowzaa!! A close second is the 3rd from the left.
that girls were involved in sports. However, is it just me, or do these girls look a lot older than high schoolers. At any rate, great to see and loved the pic!
What kind of mascot would the 'Friends Select School' basketball team have...someone dressed in a 'Hello Kitty' costume?
A careful study of the girl's clothing reveals that there wasn't much uniformity to their uniforms.
There are at least 4 different styles of sleeve on their middy blouses, entirely different socks, and every girl ties her neckerchief differently.
As for those bizarre bloomers, I'm not sure what to say about THEM.
The one on the far right looks like Barry Manilow; the one second from the left resembles Al Pacino.
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