Photography

[Photos] Neurdein fréres [and others]

[38 views of Paris]

1890s. Albumen photographs ca 21 x 26- 27 cm. Card board supports 42 x 33 cm

All the card board supports have an identical decorative border, probably standard issue boards used by several firms. Several card board corners damaged or broken off. A couple of boards with a few centimeter long tear. Slight browning to the boards. The photographs in very nice condition.

Beautiful high quality views of Paris executed during "La belle époque". Six of them are interiors. 28 of the 38 photos are marked X, or N. D. or N.D. Ph. which are the signatures of the Neurdein fréres (Neurdein brothers). It is unclear who executed the remaining 10 photos. Étienne and Louis Antonin Neurdein worked togehter from 1887 to 1915 under the name Neurdein fréres and became one of the leading firms in Paris. Their photos are of first rate quality and includes portraits, french and foreign views, monuments, architecture, ethnographica (women of Bretagne and North Africa), art reproductions and cabinet cards. Many of their views have roof tops as vantage points, to be able to separate the respective building from its surroundings. Some examples of that technique can be found in the present collection. The Neurdein fréres were probably the first to publish illustrated post cards in France in 1889, the Eiffel tower among other motifs, and became one of the biggest players in that area. Their 1900 catalogue encompassed 500 pages, and their production reached 40.000 glas negatives. The firm played an important role as documenters of contemporary France and were members of Société francaise de photographie and Chambre syndicale de la photographie. In1898 the firm won the concession to administer and develop the photo archive of the french state - Service des monuments historiques. The Neurdein fréres were awarded at several exhibitions, among them the World Fairs in Paris in 1889 and 1900. In the 1920s the firm merged with the rival firm Lévy and continued by the name Lévy et Neurdein réunis. The photos by the Neurdein fréres in the present collection are: Le Boulevard de la Madelaine, La Collone de la Place Vendome, Perspective de la Place du carrousel des Tuileries et des Champs-Èlysées, La Foyer de Opera, La Cathedrale (Eglise Notre-Dame), L´Église de la Madeleine, Jardin du Luxembourg Fountain de Médicis, Bois de Boulogne - Le Grand Lac, Le Noveau Louvre, La Place de la Concorde, Le Pont d´Iéna et le Palais du Trocadero, Palais du Louvre la Colonade, Panorama de la Rue Rivoli et de Jardin des Tuileries, Monument éléve à mémoire de Gambatta (Groupe principal), Les Halles Centralon, La Tour-Saint-Jaques, La Fountaine Saint Michel, La Sainte Chapelle et la Palais de Justice, Vue sur la Seine prise du pont des Invalides, Statue de la Republique, Le Panthéon, Le Palais du Luxembourg, Chapelle basse de la Sainte-Chapelle, Musée du Louvre - la Galerie du Apollon, Boulevard de (?) Grand Hotel, Colonne commémorative des journées de Juillet 1830, Interieur de la Sainte Chapelle le Reliquaire and one photo with unreadable text. The photos with unindentified photographer are: Arc-de-Triomphe, Theátre de l´Opera, Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Eglise Notre-Dame, Dome des Invalides, Perspectives de l´Avenue des Champs-Elysées vue prise de l´Árc de Triomphe, Facade de l´Eglise Notre-Dame, Le Escalier du Grand Opera, Tombeau de Napoleon 1er and two photos with unreadable text.

Item No: 3751