Figure 1.--Here are two Daguerreotype portraits of the LeBon children. The portraits are rare in that they were taken outdoors. They may not have been taken on the same day. The middle child nay have a diidferent outfit and his/hr hair has been combed differently. Put the cirsor on the image to see the second portrait.

Here we se the three children of the Le Bon family, Claire, Marie and Louise. We see them in two rare Daugerreotypes taken outside, which was rather rare. . I'm not sure how to date the images, but would guess the early 1850s although the late 40s is possible. Two of the girls have short hair. The girls all have rather plain outfits. Note the middlle boy has a plaid outfits with pleats in one portrait, nut the dress he is wearing in the second portrait does not seem to be pleated. Had they not been mentioned I might have thought that Claire was a boy. Come to think of it, Claire in America was sometines used as a boy's name. I'm not sure how the name was used in France. Claire lseems to be wearing a plaid dress. Claire's hair in one of the portraits has a side part. A French reader writes, "Claire , Marie , and Louise are only girl name and were very popular in France till 20th . Thus these two French pictures they are 3 girls , it is sure . during Napoleon III period (1850-70). Both little girls and boys wore dresses with pantalette, and color conventions didn't extist. As a result, it was difficult to know if a younger child was a boy or a girl Many had long hair style. I have read that it wasn't easy to know but with its toys or games one could guess the gender. About the French Christian name. Sometime on can use two Christian-names tied and it is the first one which conveys gender. For instance : Jean-Marie is a male name. Marie-Pierre is a female name. The double Christian-name is not rare in France , specialy used when one gives to the child a name of a person in his his family. For instance myself : Charles-Gérard , the second name my older brother who died in 1940 during the war. As well, this rule is only a parents' matter with sometime a personal secret . And I believe Maman was a bit seing her little boy disappeard when she was called to me Gérard. The familly name " le Bon " means the good it is very ancient and current."

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Last updated: 5:16 AM 12/11/2006