Figure 1.--This image of the de Lesseps family was taken about 1882. Despite the dresses on most of the younger children, several are in fact boys. Note that the two older boys wear sailor suits. (The children with a white dicky visible at the "V" of the middy blouse wear sailor suits to distinguish them somewhat from their younger brothers and sisters all with long hair. The children with the all black "V" are in dresses.) The boy at the back in the sailor suit standing next to his mother is Paul. Ferdanande is the child below him wearing bangs with her hair pulled back and tied with a hair bow. John the next oldest boy and probably almost 10 years old is the child at the front in the short pants sailor suit and hightop shoes. All the other children wear identical dresses, white socks and strap shoes. Some of the boys still in dresses look to be at least 7 or 8 years old, such as the child sitting at the extreme right next to Paul. Note that John in the front row has shorter hair than his older brother. A reader writes, "The child on his mother's arm could be Robert The one on his father's lap is Paul. Left of the father are Marie-Solange and Marie Eugenie Helene Right of the father in front are Ferdinande, Ismael and Bertrand Behind them Mathieu (Pierre) and Marie Consuelo."

The Children

This is a engraving from a photographic portrait of the de Lesseps family taken about 1882. The engraving here is useful because it shows the family in greater detail. Despite the dresses on most of the younger children, several are in fact boys. Note that the two older boys wear sailor suits. (The children with a white dicky visible at the "V" of the middy blouse wear sailor suits to distinguish them somewhat from their younger brothers and sisters all with long hair. The children with the all black "V" are in dresses.) The boy at the back in the sailor suit standing next to his mother is Paul. Ferdanande is the child below him wearing bangs with her hair pulled back and tied with a hair bow. John the next oldest boy and probably almost 10 years old is the child at the front in the short pants sailor suit and hightop shoes. All the other children wear identical dresses, white socks and strap shoes. Some of the boys still in dresses look to be at least 7 or 8 years old, such as the child sitting at the extreme right next to Paul. Note that John in the front row has shorter hair than his older brother. A reader writes, "The child on his mother's arm could be Robert The one on his father's lap is Paul. Left of the father are Marie-Solange and Marie Eugenie Helene Right of the father in front are Ferdinande, Ismael and Bertrand Behind them Mathieu (Pierre) and Marie Consuelo."

Engravings

We initinally thought that the image here was an engraving, although it may be that is a greatly enlarged digital image. Many photographs of the DeLesseps family were engraved so they could be punlished in magazines and newspapers. A better example of an ebgraving is a hotel room scene. Engraving is interesting in showing how photographs were converted into engravings for publication. Until the turn-of-the 20th century, lithography was not yet sufficently advanced to reproduce photograhs in books, magazines, and newspapers. A photographed or other image such as a painting had to be reproduced in an engraving. This became an rt form in its own right. The engraving could then be used for printing. This is why important graphic magazines such as Harpers had engraved images rather than photographs. Notice that there are differences between the portrait and the engraving. The process was not a photographic process, but rather hand work by a skilled artist. He could, if he wanted make changes. There were a variety of reasons for this. The engraver may have wanted to improve on the artistic merits of the photograph. He or the publisher may also have wanted to maniputate facts. We see this today with people manipulaing photographs using Photoshop. There are examples, several with Arab photographers manipulating images to make Isreali military actions look bad.

Accuaracy of this Image

A reader points out that there are differences between the photograph and the engraving here. Our HBC reader writes, "This engraving contrasts markedly from the photo on the previous HBC page. Clearly two are recording the same sittung of the De Lesseps family in 1882. If you look closely at your photo, I think you will agree, it has been 'doctored'. The 'dark dickeys' have been rather crudely added, completely distorting the features of the garments the children were actually wearing. My point is that the photograph - to me - has been doctored, so is not the definitive record. The dark (they look black but could in fact been a color like red or blue) dickeys are very crude, and do not look like normal costumes of the day. It becomes more apparent if you enlarge the picture. The engraving however fits the period and what we know the children wore. As you say the engraving is made from a photograph. It is flawless. They can't be two separate photos as the props are exactly in the same places and everyone's positions is the same. The engraving has been taken from the original in my view. Maybe we'll disagree." Well we agree that the photograph is the original and the engraving based on it. Whether the portrait has been doctored, I am not sure. The dark dickies do appear unusual, whether the photograph has been doctored I am not sure. I don't see why the engraver or publisher would do this. I think the engraver is more likely to have changed the image, but I don't have strong feelings one way or the other. Our reader responded, "Further to your email and my reply, I have gone back to my copy of the picture and blown it up. I think now that this is the original photograph and not an engraving. Compare this picture with the Graphic engraving and you will see there are no engraving lines." Yes there are no engraving lines which does seem to mean that it is a photograph. But it is a greatly enlarged image which affects the clarity. Enlargement and descreening can affect how images display. Our reader may well be correct, but I'd prefere to see a nice clear image before writing the final chapter.

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Created: 3:44 AM 4/25/2009
Last updated: 3:44 AM 4/25/2009