When my son was growing up in the 70's-80's, he liked his hair cut this way. My dad always wore a crewcut, he preferred it to longer hair. I think I have a picture of my grandfather taken when he was a teenager around 1913 with a haircut like this. I just think it is an easy way to maintain a boy's hair. They seem to like it because they don't have to do anything to it but wash it. Kinda like a lot of men shaving their heads now.

Keeping hair cut short at that time probably kept the head lice problem at a minimum. At least, if an infestation were to occur on a boy, it could be seen faster and treated with the 1920s era medicines.

Hair length more a health matter than a style matter, I'm a thinkin'

I know that when you join the army or the marines, regulation hair is either bald, butch, or a crewcut, but I was not aware that this was evidently also mandatory for shoeshine boys. The title of this would indicate that they are somehow affiliated with the church, whereas the caption implies that they all merely work in its vicinity. Which is it?