Between 1914 and 1918, female college students in the Lakewood, New Jersey area lived through a period of significant social transition. Photographs from this era show young women navigating campus life during the years of the First World War. These students often gathered in small groups on the manicured lawns of their colleges. The setting featured grand brick buildings and wide stone porches typical of early twentieth-century architecture.
The fashion of these New Jersey students was formal and strictly regulated. Most women wore long, dark skirts that reached the ankles, paired with crisp white blouses known as shirtwaists. During the colder months, they added heavy wool coats with large buttons and wide collars. Their hair was typically grown long and pinned up into voluminous styles, often topped with wide-brimmed hats decorated with ribbons. These outfits reflected the high social status associated with attending college in the Lakewood region at the time.
Daily life for these students involved a mix of rigorous academics and structured social activities. They spent their mornings in wood-paneled classrooms studying literature, history, and the sciences. In the afternoons, many participated in outdoor sports like field hockey or tennis, which were becoming more popular for women. They used heavy wooden rackets and wore athletic versions of their long skirts. These activities took place on the flat, grassy fields surrounding the Lakewood estates.
Social gatherings were often documented by local photographers who captured the students during their leisure time. The women sat together on porch swings or stood in rows for formal class portraits. They shared a sense of close companionship, often linking arms or leaning against one another in a show of friendship. As the war in Europe continued, many of these students also participated in volunteer efforts, such as knitting wool socks or rolling bandages for the Red Cross. Every photograph from this collection highlights a generation of women balancing their traditional roles with the new opportunities provided by higher education.
