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Story: Clothes

Children with bare feet, early 20th century

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Children with bare feet, early 20th century

In New Zealand, children of all backgrounds have gone barefoot in public, whereas in Britain this was seen as a sign of poverty and frowned upon. The girls in this family photograph taken in Christchurch in the early 20th century look entirely comfortable unshod – this was probably normal for them. 

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Adam MacLay Collection

Reference: 1/1-028247-G

by Adam Henry Pearson Maclay

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Fiona McKergow, Clothes – Children’s clothes, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/41147/children-with-bare-feet-early-20th-century (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Fiona McKergow, published 18 March 2013.