- 30
Bisson Frères (Louis Auguste and Auguste Rosalie Bisson), 1814-1876 and 1826-1900
bidding is closed
Description
- Bisson Frères (Louis Auguste & Auguste Rosalie Bisson)
- An Archive of Correspondence and Photographs, 1840s-1870s
including:
Correspondence
Including awards of medals, 1848; the ‘mention honorable’ for Bisson frères by the jury of the Exposition de 1849; a suggested itinerary for photographing cathedrals and monuments in the Loire valley and Touraine; the appointment of Auguste Rosalie Bisson as vérificateur des poids et measures for Rambouillet, 1850; letter in the name of Pius IX, in Latin, 1856; laudatory ALs by Henri, comte de Chambord, 1857; the letter announcing the award of brevet des fournisseurs to the Emperor (5 July 1857); Letter from Bisson frères to the Director of the Chemins de Fer de l’Est, requesting concessionary travel, 1858; several reduced price or free railway tickets, generally endorsed "Gratuité de bagages"; a letter signed by Baron Haussmann, 19 November 1858, reserving judgment on the acquisition of their collection of photographs of Paris monuments until the project is completed; official correspondence, permits and letters of introduction for photographic expeditions to Egypt (including a letter in Hebrew by the Chief Rabbi, with a translation into Arabic), Rome and elsewhere; official requests to the Sardinian and Italian customs, 1859 and 1863, to allow free passage of their photographic equipment; a letter announcing their selection for the Universal Exhibition in London in 1861; draft statutes for the new business formed when Dollfus-Ausset became a sleeping partner, c.1855; official permits for photographing public buildings and locations, including the Luxembourg gardens, the Louvre, churches and other public buildings in Rouen, the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome; an invitation to exhibit in Berlin, 1865; a letter signed by Lesseps, acknowledging a request from Bisson jeune, 1879; a passport for Auguste Bisson "dessinateur", aged 56, 1882, for a trip to Russia and Germany; an autograph letter signed by Rosa Bonheur, 1895, inviting Bisson to dine with her in the country and to bring his daughter-in-law and grandchildren if he likes, and not to weigh himself down with photographic equipment. The collection also includes a facsimile copy of Bisson’s memoir entitled "Système de coloration par impression des images obtenues par la photographie ou par les procédés qui en dérivent".
The Mont Blanc Expedition:
The brothers’ first Alpine photographs were taken in 1854 and 1855 at the behest of the industrialist Daniel Dollfus-Ausset, who had become a sleeping partner in the business that year. Included in the present collection is a prospectus for the ascent of 1860, to be led by the Alpine guide Auguste Balmat, and which was to be financed by subscription ("…par la souscription, chaque voyageur sera capable de retenir, comme résultat de des idées dans l’entreprise, un souvenir bien plus durable que les seules reminiscences mentales de ses exploits aventureux…"), and a printed pamphlet by Balmat (Annecy, 1861). There are six pages of notes on practical matters for the ascent, entitled "Notes pour M M Bisson", listing both clothes ("veste habit, large et chaude en bon drap. Les vestes longues en forme de redingote s’accrochent par les pans"), equipment including ropes, provisions ("le poulet rôti et le jambon sont les seules viandes qui plaisent là-haut…un pot de moutarde, fort utile pour faire trouver passable la viande gelée etc…200 gr de thé noir! – le meilleur ressource contre le froid…"). There is also a quantity of correspondence relating to the Album de Haute-Savoie, including the commission from the Prefect for an album of photographs of the department, 1863, and several letters of introduction, one addressed by the prefect to all the mayors and police commissioners of the department.
The importance of an expedition to Mont-Blanc and Savoy was not merely scientific: Savoy had become part of France in 1859, and in August 1860 Napoleon III undertook a journey of inspection of his new provinces. The correspondence includes letters from the chamberlains of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, 1860, thanking them for the album of photographs of Mont Blanc.
Photographs
including a quantity of cartes-de-visite, by Bisson Frères and other leading photographic studios, many relating to the Bisson family and including portraits of the photographer brothers [see illustrations], some portraits of celebrities of the day, three studies of Rosa Bonheur, various processes, one full-length portrait of Auguste Rosalie Bisson, Salt Print, a quantity of photographs relating to the ascent of Mont Blanc, the majority carte-de-visite format and credited to Bisson Frères, a small number of small format studies of Rome and other European locations, Albumen Prints, a study of Eugènie in formal wear [illustrated], Salt Print, with a cropped reference to 'Bisson' in ink on the mount, four carte-de-visite portraits (two of Napoleon III, one each of Eugènie and the Prince Imperial), Albumen Prints, mounted on card with the Disderi & Co blindstamp on the mount below image, seven stereographs, Albumen Prints, of views in the Holy Land, each on card printed with the credit 'Photographie du Couvent Arménien/Jérusalem'.
The name of Bisson ranks with those of Le Gray, Baldus, Nadar and Nègre among the great figures of the history of photography in nineteenth-century France. The elder, Louis Auguste, had worked with his father between 1841 and 1847 producing daguerrotypes, generally portraits and reproductions of works of art (their iconic image of Balzac in his shirt-sleeves dates from 1842). Auguste Rosalie also took up photography on his own account, being known as Bisson jeune, and it was not until 1852 that the two brothers set up the enterprise of Bisson frères, which moved to its celebrated address at 8 rue Garancière two years later. Soon the premises were occupying three floors of the building and the brothers were employing some thirty co-workers. Despite the partnership with Dollfus-Ausset and the success of the Alpine photographs, the business ran into financial difficulties, and was sold at auction in April 1864 to the sole bidder, Paul Placet. Louis Auguste became an employee of Placet. Auguste Rosalie continued his work under the name of Bisson jeune, undertaking another ascent of Mont Blanc in 1868 and an expedition to Egypt in 1869, and in 1873 produced photographs of the Louvre galleries for Maison Goupil.
Correspondence
Including awards of medals, 1848; the ‘mention honorable’ for Bisson frères by the jury of the Exposition de 1849; a suggested itinerary for photographing cathedrals and monuments in the Loire valley and Touraine; the appointment of Auguste Rosalie Bisson as vérificateur des poids et measures for Rambouillet, 1850; letter in the name of Pius IX, in Latin, 1856; laudatory ALs by Henri, comte de Chambord, 1857; the letter announcing the award of brevet des fournisseurs to the Emperor (5 July 1857); Letter from Bisson frères to the Director of the Chemins de Fer de l’Est, requesting concessionary travel, 1858; several reduced price or free railway tickets, generally endorsed "Gratuité de bagages"; a letter signed by Baron Haussmann, 19 November 1858, reserving judgment on the acquisition of their collection of photographs of Paris monuments until the project is completed; official correspondence, permits and letters of introduction for photographic expeditions to Egypt (including a letter in Hebrew by the Chief Rabbi, with a translation into Arabic), Rome and elsewhere; official requests to the Sardinian and Italian customs, 1859 and 1863, to allow free passage of their photographic equipment; a letter announcing their selection for the Universal Exhibition in London in 1861; draft statutes for the new business formed when Dollfus-Ausset became a sleeping partner, c.1855; official permits for photographing public buildings and locations, including the Luxembourg gardens, the Louvre, churches and other public buildings in Rouen, the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome; an invitation to exhibit in Berlin, 1865; a letter signed by Lesseps, acknowledging a request from Bisson jeune, 1879; a passport for Auguste Bisson "dessinateur", aged 56, 1882, for a trip to Russia and Germany; an autograph letter signed by Rosa Bonheur, 1895, inviting Bisson to dine with her in the country and to bring his daughter-in-law and grandchildren if he likes, and not to weigh himself down with photographic equipment. The collection also includes a facsimile copy of Bisson’s memoir entitled "Système de coloration par impression des images obtenues par la photographie ou par les procédés qui en dérivent".
The Mont Blanc Expedition:
The brothers’ first Alpine photographs were taken in 1854 and 1855 at the behest of the industrialist Daniel Dollfus-Ausset, who had become a sleeping partner in the business that year. Included in the present collection is a prospectus for the ascent of 1860, to be led by the Alpine guide Auguste Balmat, and which was to be financed by subscription ("…par la souscription, chaque voyageur sera capable de retenir, comme résultat de des idées dans l’entreprise, un souvenir bien plus durable que les seules reminiscences mentales de ses exploits aventureux…"), and a printed pamphlet by Balmat (Annecy, 1861). There are six pages of notes on practical matters for the ascent, entitled "Notes pour M M Bisson", listing both clothes ("veste habit, large et chaude en bon drap. Les vestes longues en forme de redingote s’accrochent par les pans"), equipment including ropes, provisions ("le poulet rôti et le jambon sont les seules viandes qui plaisent là-haut…un pot de moutarde, fort utile pour faire trouver passable la viande gelée etc…200 gr de thé noir! – le meilleur ressource contre le froid…"). There is also a quantity of correspondence relating to the Album de Haute-Savoie, including the commission from the Prefect for an album of photographs of the department, 1863, and several letters of introduction, one addressed by the prefect to all the mayors and police commissioners of the department.
The importance of an expedition to Mont-Blanc and Savoy was not merely scientific: Savoy had become part of France in 1859, and in August 1860 Napoleon III undertook a journey of inspection of his new provinces. The correspondence includes letters from the chamberlains of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, 1860, thanking them for the album of photographs of Mont Blanc.
Photographs
including a quantity of cartes-de-visite, by Bisson Frères and other leading photographic studios, many relating to the Bisson family and including portraits of the photographer brothers [see illustrations], some portraits of celebrities of the day, three studies of Rosa Bonheur, various processes, one full-length portrait of Auguste Rosalie Bisson, Salt Print, a quantity of photographs relating to the ascent of Mont Blanc, the majority carte-de-visite format and credited to Bisson Frères, a small number of small format studies of Rome and other European locations, Albumen Prints, a study of Eugènie in formal wear [illustrated], Salt Print, with a cropped reference to 'Bisson' in ink on the mount, four carte-de-visite portraits (two of Napoleon III, one each of Eugènie and the Prince Imperial), Albumen Prints, mounted on card with the Disderi & Co blindstamp on the mount below image, seven stereographs, Albumen Prints, of views in the Holy Land, each on card printed with the credit 'Photographie du Couvent Arménien/Jérusalem'.
The name of Bisson ranks with those of Le Gray, Baldus, Nadar and Nègre among the great figures of the history of photography in nineteenth-century France. The elder, Louis Auguste, had worked with his father between 1841 and 1847 producing daguerrotypes, generally portraits and reproductions of works of art (their iconic image of Balzac in his shirt-sleeves dates from 1842). Auguste Rosalie also took up photography on his own account, being known as Bisson jeune, and it was not until 1852 that the two brothers set up the enterprise of Bisson frères, which moved to its celebrated address at 8 rue Garancière two years later. Soon the premises were occupying three floors of the building and the brothers were employing some thirty co-workers. Despite the partnership with Dollfus-Ausset and the success of the Alpine photographs, the business ran into financial difficulties, and was sold at auction in April 1864 to the sole bidder, Paul Placet. Louis Auguste became an employee of Placet. Auguste Rosalie continued his work under the name of Bisson jeune, undertaking another ascent of Mont Blanc in 1868 and an expedition to Egypt in 1869, and in 1873 produced photographs of the Louvre galleries for Maison Goupil.
Provenance
By family descent.