397
phy”; Travels around the world, visiting Japan, China,
India, and Ceylon.
1903—Buys English Pinkerton-Smith lens that produces
soft focus effect; Begins correspondence with Alfred
Stieglitz while subscribing to “Camera Work”; Visits
United States and stays with Gertrude Käsebier in
Newport, Rhode Island, where she photographed
him.
1907—Exhibited at Stieglitz’s Photo-Secession galler-
ies January 25-February 12, New York with work of
George Seeley; Learns the autochrome process.
1908—Issue number 24 of “Camera Work” by Alfred
Stieglitz was devoted entirely to de Meyer’s work,
including seven photogravures; Joint exhibit with
Alum Langdon Coburn at Photo-Club of Paris; Re-
signs from The Linked Ring.
1909—Becomes fellow of Photo-Secession group in
New York; Work exhibited again at Photo-Seces-
sion galleries: “The Exhibition of Photographs in
Monochrome and Color by Baron Adolf de Meyer of
London and Dresden,” February 4-22; Meets Alfred
Stieglitz in person in Germany.
1910—Included in Albright Art Gallery exhibit, orga-
nized by Stieglitz, 25 photographs shown.
1911—Exhibits autochrome at Newark Museum, “Mod-
ern Photography” exhibit organized by Max Weber
and Clarence White, April.
1912—Photographs Vaslav Nijinsky in “Ballets Russes,
Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un Faune”; Shows photo-
graphs in Photo-Secession galleries ; Travels to the
United States ; October issue of “Camera Work”
devoted again to de Meyer—14 photogravures.
1914—Publishes book of photographs of Nijinsky and
other members of the Ballet Russe; Flies to New York
with wife after they were accused of being German
spies; Hired by Condé Nast as “Vogue’s” fi rst full
time photographer—signs contract to work only for
“Vogue” and “Vanity Fair” for $100/week.
1916—Photographs Nijinsky as Favorite Slave in
Schéhérazade in New York; an astrologer suggests
he and his wife change names to Gayne (Adolph)
and Mhahra (Olga).
1917—Begins designing clothes and doing interior
design, new couture line called Gayne House.
1921—Leaves “Vogue” to work for Willliam Randolph
Hearst’s “Harper’s Bazar”; By the early 1920s spends
more time in Paris.
1922—Signs ten year contract with Hearst Corporation,
seen as fashion connoisseur.
c. 1931—Olga de Meyer dies.
1938–1940s—Destroyed much of his own photographic
work; returns to the United States; Settles in Hol-
lywood.
1946—Dies January 6th of coronary thrombosis in Los
Angeles.
See also: Stieglitz, Alfred.Further Reading
Brandeau, Robert, “De Meyer.” New York, 1976.
De Meyer, Baron Adolf, Sur l’Après-midi d’un Faune. Paris 1914.
(Illustrated with 30 gravures by de Meyer.)
Ehrenkranz, Anne, A Singular Elegance: The Photographs of
Baron Adolph de Meyer. San Francisco. Chronicle Books in
association with International Center of Photography, New
York, 1994.
Naef, Weston, The Collection of Alfred Stieglitz: Fifty Pioneers
of Modern Photography. New York: Viking Press and the
Metropolitan Museum 1978.
“Photographic Critical, Constructive and Creative: Work of Baron
de Meyer.” Craftsman, 24 (May, 1913), 158–165.
Caffi n, Charles H., “The De Meyer and Coburn Exhibition.”
Camera Work 27 (July 1909), 29–30.DE PRANGEY, JOSEPH-PHILIBERT
GIRAULT (1804–1892)
French historian of architecture and daguerreotypist
Joseph-Philibert was born in Langres, October 21, 1804,
to a medium-sized family. His father was a wealthy
landowner. After studying at the college of Langres, he
graduated in 1826, and continued his studies for a time
while attending drawing classes of the School of Lan-
gres. I twas here that he met the future painter, Ziegler,
who also had an interest in photography. During this
time, he expressed an interest in architecture, practi-
cal painting and in watercolour. In 1836, he organized
the historical and archaeological company of Langres,
within which he served many functions.
After voyages to Germany, Italy, and Spain at the
beginning of the 1830s, he turned to the study of Moor-
ish art and architecture, in 1834. In 1836, Monuments
arabes et moresques de Cordoue, Séville et Grenade
appeared, and later, two other works were published
in 1837 and 1839. The work is remembered for its
scholarship as well as for the quality and the precision
of the plates, which were based on the drawings of the
author.
That same year, Joseph-Philibert exhibited at the
Salon a painting “Promenade et tours d’enceinte de
l’Alhambra”, before publishing in 1841 a new work,
Essai sur l’architecture des Arabes et des Mores en
Espagne, en Sicile et en Barbarie. Girault de Prangey
had worked with the daguerreotype since 1841. His fi rst
images were of the views from his villa of Courcelles,
Langres, and its surroundings Chaumont, Troyes, in-
cluding Paris, and in particular Notre-Dame and the
of Tileries.
In 1842, Girault de Prangey went on a new lengthy
trip to study in the Middle East. He left Marseilles, and
travelled to Genoa, Rome, and Tivoli, Italy. His two
year tour led him to Athens, Greece, Constantinople,