Talk about awkward childhood pictures. This rosy-cheeked guy couldn’t have been too thrilled during his teenage years every time his proud mom opened up the family portrait gallery for his buddies. Possible reaction: “Like, dude…what’s with the dress?”

But hey, his ma was probably observing the latest fashion trends in 19th-century children’s wear. The sleeves got some puff, the neckline’s fringed with ruff – this kid is a diminutive dandy! Pink was also the customary color for little boys at the time. It was a watered down version of red, which was the color of soldiers uniforms in many a country. So, fittingly, little boys were dressed in a mixture of red and white, aka power plus purity. Weird.

On that note, let’s take a closer look at the age-inappropriate plaything the tyke is holding. Yup, it’s a whip. It definitely shows that this toddler is in an authoritative mood and possibly alluding to the idea that he is of high birth and could be the future master of the house. Though no one is actually sure about what it’s for. Is it a horse and buggy tool or is it an early sign of an S&M fetish? We here at Sartle obviously vote for the latter. Beat me up, Toddy!