Louis-Auguste Bisson

In 1860 they accompanied Napoleon III on his visit to Savoy. The pair produced remarkable images of the local scenery. Having received an encouraging response to his work, the following year Auguste ascended Mont Blanc, taking with him twenty-five porters to carry his equipment. The photographs were made using the collodion process, with very large negatives, often up to 30 cm x 40 cm (12" x 16") The brothers refused to reduce their images to the carte de visite size and, consequently, after four years, they ceased operating their business. One of the most famous works attributed to this artist is his photograph of composer Frédéric Chopin. The origin of the portrait has never been adequately explained and, subsequently, the image was excluded from the 'Les frères Bisson Photographes' exhibition at the Bibliothèque Nationale in 1999.