Three children pose for this cabinet card photograph by Strunk of Reading, Pennsylvania. The boys are wearing the largest bow ties in America. Are they bow ties or are they scarves, that is the question? The kids are very cute in their fancy outfits. The photographer is John D. Strunk (1856- ?). There are records of his working as a photographer from 1888 until 1910. To view other photographs by Strunk, click on the category “Photographer: Strunk”.
THREE CHILDREN IN READING, PENNSYLVANIA AND TWO OF THE BIGGEST BOW TIES IN AMERICA
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THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
These are called Little Lord Fauntleroy suits. A major fad for formal dress for American middle-class boys. They became popular after the publication of the book by the same name (1885) and was a major fashion until after the turn of the 20th century. Those are ties.
These boys, however do not have the long hair with curls also popular with this dress.
-footnoteMaven
I vote for pre-sewn bows, look how perky they are! I’ve never seen an original though, so it could be a expertly tied cravat.
Looking in Sear & Roebuck catalogue, 1897, and what we would now call a bowtie is called a “band bow,” to distinguish it from a bow tie “with elastic loop”
On page 224 is a “Children’s Large Fancy Plaid Bow Ties in dark and bright colors, made of soft woven silk ribbon, 6 1/2 inches wide, with elastic to go around the collar and fasten with a hook behind the bow. Can be worn with either turn down or stand up collar. Each…..$0.24”
It looks very much like what these boys are wearing.
This appears to be John D Strunk, the photographer:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=strunk&GSfn=john&GSmn=d&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=40&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=69998461&df=all&
He died in 1930