723
the remainder of his life. Here he appears to have been
infl uenced by his friend Hippolyte Bayard, who may
have given him his fi rst lessons in photography.
At fi rst, Humbert de Molard practiced the daguerreo-
type process to a point where he became quite profi cient
at it. Then, around 1844, he took up the calotype or
paper negative process, practicing the two procedures
concurrently at fi rst, but eventually becoming more
interested in the calotype. He also experimented with
the albumen negative process in the late 1840s and the
wet-collodion process in the 1850s.
Most of Humbert de Molard’s photographs which
survive to this day are daguerreotypes and calotypes
made during the period 1845–1849. These are either
landscapes made in the environs of Lagny or Margne,
or photographs of his family, friends, and acquaintances.
The landscapes tend to feature sparing, open views of
rustic architectural elements, in a similar vein to his
contemporary Henri Le Secq. Over and above these,
however, he excelled at staged portraits, using props and
costumes to artifi cially recreate an atmosphere of daily
life at Lagny, the candid gestures and expressions of his
subjects revealing a sense of immediacy that is rare for
the period. Many of these being calotypes, they show a
concern for detail that is most unusual, as for example, a
depiction of a woman seated with ring of playing cards
placed upon her lap, or a family portrait, where the text
of a sign posted on the wall is also legible. Many of these
recall Bayard’s self-portraits and anticipate the tableau
vivant style of Vallou de Villeneuve, with whom Hum-
bert de Molard also seems to have been acquainted.
Throughout his photographic career, Humbert de Mo-
lard was very interested in chemical experimentation.
Dissatisfi ed with the way that hypo bleached salt prints,
in 1844–1847, he arrived at an alternative fi xing bath
which avoided the use of hypo entirely. After exposure
in a printing frame, the print was rinsed in an ammonia
solution. This was followed by a gold chloride toning
bath. Once the desired tone was achieved, the print was
fi xed in a solution containing potassium cyanide andHUMBERT DE MOLARD, BARON LOUIS-ADOLPHE
Humbert de Molard, Baron Louis-
Adolphe. Stringing Beans.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Gilman Collection, Purchase, Mr.
and Mrs. Henry R. Kravis Gift,
2005 (2005.100.263) Image © The
Metropolitan Musem of Art.