Biography: 19th Century photographic duo Bisson Frères

Biography: 19th Century photographic duo Bisson Frères

MonoVisions Black & White Photo Contest 2025

Known collectively as the Bisson Frères, the two brothers Louis-Auguste and August-Rosalie Bisson captured Europe’s attention with their striking, large-scale photographs of French churches and historic monuments across Europe. Their breathtaking alpine views shot on an expedition led by Napoleon III to celebrate the return of Savoy to France were widely celebrated, enhancing their reputation for a wide range of photographic styles. Shot from a bird’s-eye view, Glacier des Bossons, Savoie (ca. 1860) embodies man’s endeavor to overcome nature with its portrayal of the tiny ant-like figures crossing a glacier. Early work included studio portraiture and then, upon switching from using a daguerreotype to a positive/negative process, reproductions of works by Rembrandt and Albrecht Dürer.

The Ascent of Mont Blanc, 1861.

The Ascent of Mont Blanc, 1861. Photo: Bisson Frères

Porte St. Denis, 1860s.

Porte St. Denis, 1860s. Photo: Bisson Frères

Arch of Constantine, Rome, 1860s.

Arch of Constantine, Rome, 1860s. Photo: Bisson Frères

Basilica of Maxentius, Rome, 1860s.

Basilica of Maxentius, Rome, 1860s. Photo: Bisson Frères

Audenarde. Hôtel de Ville, 1858.

Audenarde. Hôtel de Ville, 1858. Photo: Bisson Frères

Paris - Opposite Notre Dame, 1858.

Paris – Opposite Notre Dame, 1858. Photo: Bisson Frères

Notre Dame, Paris, 1850s.

Notre Dame, Paris, 1850s. Photo: Bisson Frères

Valley of Chamonix seen from Le Chapeau, 1860.

Valley of Chamonix seen from Le Chapeau, 1860. Photo: Bisson Frères

Temple of Saturn and Temple of Vespasian, Rome, 1860s.

Temple of Saturn and Temple of Vespasian, Rome, 1860s. Photo: Bisson Frères

Paris. Old Hôtel de Ville, 1858.

Paris. Old Hôtel de Ville, 1858. Photo: Bisson Frères

Orléans Cathedral, 1857.

Orléans Cathedral, 1857. Photo: Bisson Frères

Rouen. Vestiges of the Loggia of the Abbesses from the Abbey of Saint Amand, 1858.

Rouen. Vestiges of the Loggia of the Abbesses from the Abbey of Saint Amand, 1858. Photo: Bisson Frères


MonoVisions Black & White Photo Contest 2025