Turn of the Century French Autochromes

A few autochromes from France in the first decade of the twentieth century to start your weekend beautifully!

Birch trees on a river bank. 1909. John Cimon Warburg


Léon Gimpel’s 1907 photograph of Roseraie de L’haÿ in Paris.

Henri Chouanard‘s photograph of French  fashionistas in 1900

9 thoughts on “Turn of the Century French Autochromes

  1. I find the photographs a projection back to the early 20th Century. They make me wonder how women of that time remained comfortable while adorned in a long dress and an enormous, decorative hat? It strikes me the hem of their dress must have been like a street sweeper, collecting dirt and debris as they walked inside and out. Did they clean the hem after each use?

    That two of these photographs were taken outdoors is an indication of the advancement of photography. Things outside move and early cameras didn’t have the capability of freezing action. Most early photographs were taken indoors in a controlled setting. There were “posing chairs” designed for photographic needs and effect. To have an appearance of being outdoors or in a specific setting, “high-grade backgrounds” were sold to photographers through a catalog.

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    • It’s definitely tricky walking in a long skirt or dress. Particularly in high heels!
      The high-grade backgrounds were not probably lovely… the modern green screen is a strange concept by comparison and not as delightful to look at.

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  2. I love the elegant dress of that time, but I’m glad it’s not the style now. Although, it would be nice to see people dressing nicer these days for special events and special places. I remember the dress code on the Las Vegas Strip. Good old days!

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