Figure 1.--This is a portrait of the de Lesseps family 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." Click on the image to see an engraving made from this portrait,

This is a portrait of the de Lesseps family 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."

Chronology

This is a portrait of the de Lesseps family taken about 1882. A reader thinks it may have been taken a little later, perhps, 1883 or 84.

Clothing anf Hair Styles

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.)

Preliminary Identity Assessment

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."

Reader Identity Assessment

A reader writes, "The portrait here of the de Lesseps family I believe was taken in 1883 or 84 (figure 1). It looks a bit odd to me. The 'dickies' look un-natural. An engraving made from the portrait, however, looks righr. I think I have the children identified correctly. I thought the child I have called Bertrand is holding a sword, but I am not so sure. It may be the other twin and Bertrand then would be on the end next to Ishmael. I have drawn a table showing the ages of each child at each year. Then I look for the three eldest, then the youngest and work to the middle. For example in 1883, there were nine children, until Jaques was born. The baby in mother's arms is not a new born so it ha to be Robert. He looks about 1 year old. He was born on May 23, 1982 so I judge the photo was taken in 1883. The two elder boys have been breeched in this photo, so it was taken after the 1881 horsedrawn cart picture. Then there were only seven children. Paul was born on August 13, 1880 and a bit young to be in the horsedrawn cart.

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Created: 12:00 AM 2/13/2008
Last updated: 12:00 AM 2/13/2008