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on glass, and subsequently Taupenot’s dry albumenized
collodion process. He was one of the fi rst to use wet col-
lodion photography in France. De Brebisson published
several papers on the subject, including a treatise on
‘instantaneous dry collodion’ in 1863. Through these
publications he was instrumental in the popularization
of collodion photography. He was the fi rst to make a
complete method of photography with collodion (1852)
in France. Alphonse published several papers on the
subject (of which consisted a treaty of instantaneous
dry collodion in 1863).
Brébisson practiced the stereoscopy, microphotogra-
phy (applied to botany), and the carbon process as well,
which he developed himself. He also invented a printing
frame. Alphonse printed his tests as paper versions ac-
cording to the method developed by Blanquart-Evrard
in 1847. He collaborated in l’Album photographique
de l’artiste et de l’amateur published by Blanquart-
Evrard in 1851. As a founding member of the Société
française de photographie in 1854, he remained faithful
the society until his death. He participated in three of
their exhibitions, in 1857 with the studies of landscapes
on albumenized collodion; in 1859 with the landscapes
on albumenized collodion printed with uranium and
gold according to the method of Niépce-of-Saint-Vic-
tor; and in 1861 with albumenized dry collodions of
the monuments of Falaise and the surroundings area.
He also took part in two exhibitions of Alençon (1858,
1865), in l’exposition de Marseille in 1861 and the
International Exhibition of 1862 in London. In 1859,
Alphonse provided within one frame, three samples
of the same image of the Rocks of Noron, which were
obtained successively by uranium oxide nitrate, cerargy-
rite, and coal. A critic evoked these tests: “under skilful
and exerted hands all the processes are good; there is
such a similarity between these three tests, which one
would be embarrassed of saying which is the best “(Re-
examined photographic). With such tests, the process
of this experimentation became well known outside of
the laboratory of the scientists, allowing the public too
to participate.
Almost all of the daguerreotypes and negative paper
of Brébisson’s disappeared, but an important a number
of albumen and collodion plates were preserved with
the Photographic archives and the BNF. His oeuvre
consists of very diverse scenes: portraits, landscapes,
monuments, nature, and reproductions of other works.
In 1865, on his way to Alençon, he photographed his
famously artistic Falaise exposure of 1864 (process
with tannin) and a reproduction of an engraving. All
the portraits taken by the end of 1840 were on nega-
tive paper, consisted of self-portraits in which he only
posed with his friend Humbert de Molard, and images
of his family. He experimented with all genres and his
talent undoubtedly was displayed best with landscape
photography. He took many shots of Falaise and the
surrounding area in various formats (30 × 40 cm or 21
× 27 cm), in accordance to negative paper or glass with
albumen. Alphonse had a predilection for edges of riv-
ers, the refl ective quality of water, and the underwoods.
In these landscapes, he illustrated a great sensitivity to
the atmosphere and the luminous effects.
In 1861, Felix Deriège was fi lled with wonder in-
spired by Brébisson’s landscapes, in particular by the
image of la Saint-Trinité de Falaise. His only reservation
related to the tone of the deer, due to the use of uranium
oxide. Apart from his oeuvres, Brébisson left an album
to the Paris, Musée of Orsay, which contained signed test
images of the great names of the photography of the time
like Hippolyte Bayard; Louis de Clercq; Andre Giroux;
Gustave le Gray; Henri le Secq; Charles Nègre; and
Joseph Vigier. To these names of course, it is necessary
to add that of Domenica Gaumé, professor of drawing
in Mans, with whom Brébisson began photography, and
Edmond Bacot and Charles Ancelle.
Alphonse de Brébisson typifies the inquisitive
amateur. He represented the perpetually, inventive spirit
having followed all the stages of the new medium, and
running tests himself with all the techniques and all
subjects. He was greeted by the critics as an “intrepid
researcher” (photographic Review, 1859), and as a” man
of taste and...[an] experienced expert” (Ernest Lacan,
1861). With his qualities as a man of science, one could
combine those of an aesthetic sensitivity to the beauty
of nature and ability to compose an image.
Helene BocardBibliography
Heilbrun, Francoise, “an album the” primitive ones “of the French
photography, Re-examined of the Louvre, 1980, n°1.
Néagu, Philippe and Jean-Jacques Chicken-Allamagny, Anthol-
ogy of a photographic inheritance. 1847–1926, Paris, national
Case of the historic buildings and the sites, 1980; Glances on
photography in France at the XIXe century, Paris, Museum of
the Small-Palate, Paris, Shepherd-Levrault, 1980.
Auer, Michele and Michel Auer, international Encyclopaedia of
the photographers of 1839 to our days, Hermance, Camera
will obscura, 1985.
Bacot, E, A. of Brébisson, A. Humbert de Molard: three photog-
raphers in Low-Normandy at the XIXe century, Caen, regional
Association for the diffusion of the image, 1989.DE CLERQ, LOUIS (1836–1902)
French archaeologist and photographer
Born Louis-Constantin-Henri-François-Xavier De Clerq
to a wealthy family in Northern France, De Clercq, was
from an early age a passionate amateur archaeologist