About This Image

Dedication in pencil on the mount: "à ma chère Marie/A Coulon/9bre 1859." Also in pencil on the mount: "Plancher Bas/8bre 1856–7bre 1859/Jer 1866" and a short poetic text. This was the first page of an album in which it was included. Two more lightly albumenized salt prints of landscapes with buildings are on the verso and dated (1866) and identified.

Provenance: album compiled by Alfred Coulon (1826-1898), elected member of the Société Française de Photographie in 1858.

Alfred Coulon, born in 1826, pursued his education at Collège Sainte Barbe, where he remained an active member of the alumni association. He obtained his university degrees in administrative law in 1845 and 1847. In 1847, he began his military service.

In June 1852, he was appointed as a bailiff at the Seine Tribunal, marking a significant milestone in his career. Shortly thereafter, in September 1852, he married Marie Terré, the daughter of Hilaire-Laurent Terré, who would later become the mayor of Saint-Gratien from 1857 to 1871.

Alfred Coulon's life became closely associated with Saint-Gratien, where he was introduced to Princess Mathilde and her circle. He became a protegé of the renowned photographer Count Olympe Aguado, with whom he collaborated on numerous photographic sessions.

On February 19, 1858, Alfred Coulon was elected as a member of the Société Française de Photographie, alongside figures such as Paul-Emile Miot, Alphonse Delaunay and Michel de Sboromirsky from St. Petersburg. This membership marked his deepening involvement in the world of photography.

Within the French Photographic Society, he was selected during the session on October 29, 1858, to be part of a commission, along with Hippolyte Bayard, Paul Gaillard and Gabriel de Rumine. This commission was tasked with experimenting with the process of photography on dry collodion paper developed by Henri Corbin. A report by this commission was presented during the SFP session on November 19, 1858. It is worth noting that within Alfred Coulon's collection, prints by Aguado, Bayard and Rumine were discovered.

Over the years, Alfred Coulon's career progressed as he climbed the ranks, eventually culminating in his position as the Chief Clerk of the Court of Cassation. In 1884, he served as one of the editors of the "Dictionnaire général d'administration," published under the direction of Mr. Alfred Blanche. His multifaceted journey is a testament to his diverse interests and accomplishments, bridging the fields of law and photography.

A print identified as being by Alfred Coulon is in the French Bibliotheque Nationale. It was acquired during the acquisition of the Georges Sirot Collection.

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