My So Charmed Life

Quintland

11.26.11

Born in Ontario, Canada in 1934, the Dionne quintuplets were the first set of quints known to survive their infancy. Four months after their birth, their parents were deemed unfit and the five girls were made wards of the King and moved into a specially built compound where they lived for 9 years.

At that point, the government began to profit from them by making them into a significant tourist attraction. Approximately 6000 visitors per day arrived at the observation gallery surrounding the sister’s outdoor playground at Quintland turning the children into a $500 million dollar industry rivaling Niagra Falls.

In birth order the identical quintuplets were: Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Emilie and Marie. A sixth baby was stillborn.

The year of their birth a set of five souvenir collectible spoons was issued by Carlton Silverplate.

In 1954 Emilie Dionne joined a convent in Ste Agathe, north of Montreal. In August of that year, she died alone in her bed, suffocating to death during an epileptic seizure. The Dionnes had kept her “shameful” condition of epilepsy a secret.

The spoons are highly detailed, with a front/back depiction of each sister in a polka dot dress, along with her name.

Bracelet from forged spoon, with 6 sisterly beaded/charmed dangles and a mourning ribbon affixed. Four other bracelets in progress.

Two of the sisters, Annette and Cecile, are alive today.