Henry Dupont

Henry Dupont (1798–1873) was a French naturalist known for his work with beetles and bird specimens. He was the younger brother of Leonard Dupont, another prominent naturalist, often causing confusion as many sources simply referred to them as "Monsieur Dupont." Henry specialized in entomology, particularly beetles, while Leonard focused on birds. Many beetle species were named after Henry.

Born in Bayeux to a wig-maker and his wife, both of whom later used the surname Dupont, Henry displayed an early interest in natural history, inspired by his mother, a conchologist with her own scientific recognition. He studied in Paris and worked at the Jardin des Plantes before establishing a specimen-dealing business from Quai Saint-Michel, where he sold insect samples and wax models for entomologists.

By 1828, Henry had amassed nearly 10,000 beetle specimens, expanding his collection with 15,000 from Madagascar. He joined the Societe Entomologique de France in 1832 and contributed numerous scientific papers. Retiring in 1846, he sold a significant portion of his collection to Count Jerzy Wandalin Mniszech and others. During the Franco-Prussian War, Henry moved to central Paris, returning after the war to his damaged home, where he died in 1873.

Henry was married and had at least two children; his son Francois Henri donated bird sternums to the Paris Museum of Natural History. Some of Henry's specimens were later reintroduced through the collections of Oberthur.