Loterie des enfants trouvés, 1674 - the theme of a swaddled Jesus to remember the life of the population was common in religious and artistic circles who offered charity in Paris in the middle of the 17th century. It is opposed to the sensual depiction of Jesus as a child in the more official classical art, inspired by the Renaissance.

Bibliothèque royale de Bruxelles, Belgique

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In 1633 Vincent de Paul founded in Paris the Companie des Filles de la Charité, whose nuns dedicated themselves to the poors and lost children. In 1640 they received the royal charge to take care of any child found in the streets of Paris. Each year, 500 children were abandoned

Jeune fille au livre assise sur un balcon

Auteur : Loppé Gabriel (1825-1913) (C) Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt

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Le petit Henri Duboille âgé de 3 ans vient de perdre son papa à la guerre, il s’est fait des amis de ces vétérans de Gallipoli de la 2nd Div..

Small Henri Duboille, who was three years old on this photo and who just lost his father, made friends with these Australian veterans from Gallipoli

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oldrags:

Boy’s robe, ca 1750 France, the Victoria & Albert Museum

This boy’s robe dates from a era when young boys in Europe wore garments with skirts, a custom with unclear origins, but which most likely had to do with making it easier for them to urinate. The style was common until about 1920. A boy usually received his first breeches or trousers between four and seven years of age, sometimes in a special ceremony held by the family.

Canevas rectangulaire avec un ourlet sur trois cotés et une frise rouge brodée qui alterne quatre styles de points différents.

Fin du 19e siècle. Par Henriette Pernin

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Embroidery of the alphabet by Henriette Pernin

Mère et enfant
Vincent de Beauvais, Miroir historial, France XIVe siècle Paris, Arsenal, manuscrit 5080, fol. 113v.

Mother and Child

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Une mère porteuse

Livre d’astrologie, France, XIV siècle - Paris, BnF, département des Manuscrits, Latin 7344, fol. 7v.

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To allow women to move freely while carrying her newborn, numerous cradles adapted to small travels (to go to the fair, the mark) or long distance ones (pilgrimage) existed. A wooden basket, or, more comfortable a cradle with straps were quite common. 

Jeune enfant avec les pigeons de la cour du Louvre : [photographie de presse] / Jacquet

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Facétie : [estampe] : Machine à vapeur pour la correction célérifère des petites filles et des petits garçons (Steam engine to quickly spank little girls and little boys)

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