Figure 1.--A HBC reader has provided this portrait of an unidentified English child about 1875. She believes that the child is a boy. It could well be, but we are not sure. Our reader has since determined that the child is a girl named Blanche Lello.

A HBC reader has provided this portrait of an unidentified English child about 1875. All we know for sure is that the portrait was taken in Liverpool by the Liverpool & London Photographic Co. She writes, "I don't think this looks like a girl. Could I be right?" It is possible to guess gender based on facial features, but there is no reason to be really positove about such matters. As boys this age commonly wore long hair and dresses, this child could easily be either. And he is not holding any props which often provide us clues. There is, however, a prop on the table--a fan. Such itens do not appear by accident in these old photographs. And of course a fan would suggest the child is a girl. Our contributor writes, "I am puzzled about a) the black socks and b) the style of shoe. I would have expected a girl to be wearing a much longer dress and in lighter colours." I did not mean to suggest I had the defunitive answer. I do not think black or white socks had gender connotations at the time. As to shoes. I just do not know enough about 19th century shoes tp comment. They look boyish, bit remember boys and girls shoes were often very similar at the time. We know nothing about the family. They must have been well off as the child is quite nively dressed. Our reader has subsequently written, "I've gone through an archive and found little girls dressed identically with dark ruched dresses, with perhaps a touch of white at the neck, pantaloons showing, dark socks, laced boots, c. 1885/6. This then makes sense. Many thanks. She is a girl, as the name on the back shows." Our reader has since determined that the child is a girl named Blanche Lello.

Created: 1:18 AM 11/2/2006
Last updated: 12:30 AM 11/4/2006