Figure 1.--Here is a nursery for abandoned children in Montreal in 1943. I'm not sure about the name of the orphanage. The school was operated by Catholic nuns. The children, all about 5 or 6 years old, seem to be beautifully cared for. They all wear smocks with white collars and cuffs over either short pants or dresses. Click on the image to see the rest of the class.

Here is a nursery for abandoned children in Montreal in 1943. I'm not sure about the name of the orphanage. The school was operated by Catholic nuns. The children, all about 5 or 6 years old, seem to be beautifully cared for. They all wear colored smocks with white collars and cuffs over either short pants or dresses. I'm not sure what color the smocks were. Almost all the children, both boys and girls, wear long brown cotton stockings with supporters and high shoes, but at least one boy wears ankle socks. I'm not sure who decided on the hosiery. One would think that at an orphanage where the children wore identical clothes that the hosiery would also be identical. The expression for unwed mothers in Quebec was originally "fille-meres," a term that carried a certain disgrace and social oppropbrium with it. In 1970 the more politically correct term became "meres celibataires". The old laws in Quebec more or less let men who got girls pregnant but didn't marry them off the hook. But now the men have to take financial responsibility for their children.

Created: 12:47 AM 5/19/2005
Last updated: 12:47 AM 5/19/2005