  In recent years, an increasing number of publications have been addressed to
the peculiar and mysterious pre-main sequence star V582 Mon, also known as KH
15D. This extraordinary T Tauri star, located in the young star cluster NGC
2264, appears as to be an eclipsing variable. In the present paper, we report a
unique and self-consistent set of light curves in the blue and near-infrared
bands, spanning a 15-year interval (epoch 1955-1970). Our photometric data show
clearly the beginning of the eclipse stage occurred in early 1958 in the blue,
and perhaps around four years later in the infrared. The light curve period
turns out to be the same reported by recent observations (about 48.3 days), so
that no evidence for a period change results. On the other hand, in our data
the light curve shape appears as sinusoidal and is therefore different from the
one displayed today. The photometric behaviour, determined with time-series and
colour-index analysis, suggests that V582 Mon (KH 15D) could be initially
surrounded by an accretion disk/torus seen edge-on, with subsequent thin dust
formation at the beginning of the blue radiation absorption. The dust could
then aggregate into larger particles providing the transition between selective
and total absorption, accompanied with eclipsing variability in the infrared.
The minima of the periodic light curve become deeper due to the increasing
dimension and number of dust grains, and then flattens due to a contraction in
the disk.
