Object Information
Bisson Frères (Louis Auguste and Auguste Rosalie)
French, 1814-1876 and 1826-1900, respectively
The Portal of Saint Ursinus at Bourges, c. 1863
Albumen silver print from wet-collodion glass negative
43 x 35.3 cm
Mary and Leigh B. Block Purchase Fund, 1980.213
Photography
Not on Display
In the early years of photography, landscape studies, architectural views, and studio portraiture were the main focus of the new medium. A photograph such as The Portal of Saint Ursinus at Bourges of 1863 by the Bisson Frères (Bisson Brothers) reveals a widespread interest on the part of the French at that time in their nation's past and in the preservation of historical monuments. Using large-format cameras and glass-plate negatives, the Bissons captured their architectural subjects with exquisite sharpness of detail and purity of light.
Exhibition, Publication and Ownership Histories
Exhibition History
AIC, "Crossing the Line: Photography Reconsidered," January 29 - June 4, 2000, (David Travis).