Thursday 27 November 2014

Autochromes - part 3

The Autochrome Lumière is an early colour photography process. Patented in 1903 by Lumière brothers in France and first marketed in 1907, it was the principal colour photography process in use before the advent of subtractive colour film in the mid-1930s.

This is part 3 of a 3-part series on Autochromes. For more information about Autochromes see part 1 also. For more Autochrome images see parts and 2 also.





Autochromes from World War 1:



Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud (1866-1961)
Tournassoud was a career officer in the French Army. He produced hundreds of striking Autochromes depicting French Troops during World War 1, and towards the end of the war he was named Managing Director of the Army’s division of Photographic and Cinematographic Services.



1916 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, a French Soldier Poses with the Flag of the 37th Infantry Regiment 
© Private Collection

1916 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, French Soldiers in a Trench 
© Collection Mick Micheyl / Assoc. des Amis de J-B Tournassoud

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, French and Russian Soldiers in front of a Grocery Market Place in Reims
Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD 
( Establishment of Communication and Audiovisual Production of Defence )

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, in the Prison Camp Barika Algeria, German Prisoners observing a Group of French Soldiers
 Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, French Officers Receiving Machine Gun Training in North Africa
Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, Dugout
Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, Soldiers from the 4th Spahi Regiment, a French Colonial Cavalry Unit
Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, The Entrance to the Citadel of Verdun
Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, The Laundry of the 3rd Zouaves in Camp Valbonne
Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, The Men of the 14th Regiment Prepare their Meals
Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, Two Soldiers of the 14th Regiment Maintain their Equipment
Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, Washing in the River
 Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD

1915c Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, French Infantry
Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD

1914-18 Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, French Prison Camp Orchestra made up of German POWs posing with instruments they made themselves in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria
Collection Tournassoud - ECPAD



Hans Hidenbrand (1870 – 1957) was one of 19 official German photographers documenting the war, but the only one to shoot in colour.

1915-16 Hans Hildenbrand, Trench ( Upper Alsace )

1915-16 Hans Hildenbrand, Trench Canteen


1914-18 Hans Hildenbrand, Shaving in the Trenches ( Upper Alsace )


1914-18 Hans Hildenbrand, Hartmannsweiler Kopf

1914-18 Hans Hildenbrand, Hartmannsweiler Kopf
1914-18 Hans Hildenbrand, Hartmannsweiler Kopf
1914-18 Hans Hildenbrand, Trench ( Upper Alsace )



 Paul Castelnau (1880 - 1961) served in the French Army:

1914-18 Paul Castelnau 
© Ministère de la Culture / Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoineDist. 
RMN-Grand Palais/Art ResourceNY

Paul Castelnau 
© Ministère de la Culture / Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoineDist. 
RMN-Grand Palais/Art ResourceNY

Paul Castelnau 
© Ministère de la Culture / Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoineDist. 
RMN-Grand Palais/Art ResourceNY

1917 Paul Casteinau, Group of Senegalese Soldiers in Saint-Ulrich

Fernand Cuville (1887 - 1927) served in the French Army:

1917 Fernand Cuville, Group of Algerian soldiers following the retreat of the German army, Noyon, Oise

1917 Fernand Cuville, A little girl playing with her doll: Two guns and a knapsack are next to her on the ground, Reims

1917 Fernand Cuville, A soldier is shaved by a barber in a French military encampment

1917 Fernand Cuville, Canadian Foresters in Quesmy, France

1917 Fernand Cuville, French soldiers pause for rest during the Battle of the Aisne

1917 Fernand Cuville, Three French soldiers take a break in front of a heavily damaged building with their small truck

1917 Fernand Cuville, Two French soldiers heat up a meal on an outdoor fireplace made from bricks

1917 Fernand Cuville, A French section of machine gunners has taken position in the ruins during the battle of the Aisne

1917 Fernand Cuville, A French section of machine gunners has taken position in the ruins during the battle of the Aisne

1917 Fernand Cuville, A French soldier stands next to a table with German shells and an aircraft propeller, along the Western Front in Reims

1917 Fernand Cuville, A table with German shells along the Western Front in Reims ( see Autochrome above )

1917 Fernand Cuville, Graves of French soldiers killed at Laffaux on May 14, 1917

1917 Fernand Cuville, French soldiers rest in the grass after lunch on the Western Front in Aisne

1917 Fernand Cuville, Three Senegalese workers in Soissons

1917 Fernand Cuville, Four firemen with their equipment, Western Front, Reims

1917 Fernand Cuville, Six French soldiers with buckets and laundry at a fountain, Western Front, Soissons

1917 Fernand Cuville, An Algerian guard on a bridge. Pommiers, Aisne

1917 Fernand Cuville, French soldiers from a special unit build a wooden bridge across the Aisne, Soissons

1917 Fernand Cuville, French soldiers move a heavy stone near the construction site at the bridge across the Aisne, Soissons

1917 Fernand Cuville, Two French soldiers and horses in the cloister of the Abbey de Saint-Jean-des-Vignes, which was heavily damaged by artillery fire, Western Front, Aisne, Soissons

1917 Fernand Cuville, Two French soldiers work at a smith’s hearth in a forge destroyed by grenades, Western Front, Reims, Marne

Monday 24 November 2014

Autochromes - part 2

The Autochrome Lumière is an early colour photography process. Patented in 1903 by Lumière brothers in France and first marketed in 1907, it was the principal colour photography process in use before the advent of subtractive colour film in the mid-1930s.

This is part 2 of a 3-part series on Autochromes. For more information about Autochromes, and for more images, see part 1 also.




Belgian Autochromes:


My thanks go Florent Van Hoof for allowing me to reproduce some of the wonderful Autochrome images from his splendid collection of Belgian Autochromists. If you are interested in Autochromes or would like to know more about Belgian Autochromes, please visit Florent’s collection at his website http://users.telenet.be/autochromes/introduction.htm

Alfonse Van Besten (1865 – 1926)

Van Besten was a painter and took full advantage of the possibilities of the new colour process, taken with a “painterly eye.”


1912c Alfonse Van Besten, Ancient Times
Collection of Florent Van Hoof 

1911c Alfonse Van Besten, Civic and Military Garb

1913c Alfonse Van Besten, Dahlias

1913c Alfonse Van Besten, Fragility

1912c Alfonse Van Besten, Groupe Antique Composition

1912c Alfonse Van Besten, Innocence

1911 Alfonse Van Besten, Lanciers Armée Belge

1913 Alfonse Van Besten, Ma Femme ( Mrs. A. Van Besten )

1912c Alfonse Van Besten, Maiden with Butterfly on Flower

1912c Alfonse Van Besten, Modesty

1910c Alfonse Van Besten, Musing ( Mrs. A. Van Besten )

1913 Alfonse Van Besten, Purity

1913c Alfonse Van Besten, Still Life with Brown Fruit

1912c Alfonse Van Besten, Two Girls Picking Cornflowers

1912c Alfonse Van Besten, Washing and Bleaching

1912c Alfonse Van Besten, Young Girl Amidst Marguerites


Charles Corbet (1868 – 1936)
Charles Corbet was an accountant – all his autochromes were taken between 1909 and 1914.


1910c Charles Corbet, Dahlias

1910c Charles Corbet, Girl Embracing Woman

1910c Charles Corbet, Girl with Gun

1910c Charles Corbet, Still life with Carnations and Poppies

1910c Charles Corbet, Still Life with Decanter and Hat

1010c Charles Corbet, Still Life with Statuette and Carnations

1910c Charles Corbet, Still life with Vase and Flowers

1910c Charles Corbet, Still Life with Vase and Roses

1910c Charles Corbet, View of Montjoie / Monschau

1910c Charles Corbet, Woman and Girl by a Brook


Ernest van Zuylen (1886 – 1957) 
Ernest van Zuylen took up photography from a young age, but it wasn’t until 1915 – 18, when staying in Holland, that he made many autochromes.

1917c Ernest van Zuylen, Still Life with Roses and Decorative Platter


George Gilon (1873 – 1928)
George Gilon was a wool-trader at Verviers in Belgium. He was a passionate photographer and gifted wood-worker.

1913 Georges Gilon, Bouquet with Roses and Gladioli

1913c Georges Gilon, Family Portrait at Roanny, Belgium

1913c Georges Gilon, Portrait of Jeanne Nokin

1913c Georges Gilon, Red and White Begonias

Paul Sano (1874 – 1960) 

Paul Sano was a General Practitioner in Antwerp, Belgium. His interest lay in exploring the limits of the autochrome process, creating collages, multiple exposures, and micro-photography.

1912c Paul Sano, Double Portrait of Mrs. Corbet

1920c Paul Sano, Girl and Cockatoo

1910c Paul Sano, Mr and Mrs Cobet having Afternoon Tea

1910c Paul Sano, Portrait of a Lady ( Mrs C, Corbet )

1914c Paul Sano, Return from the Styx

1920c Paul Sano, Study in Green and Pink