Auguste-Rosalie Bisson: The Obsession with the Summit
The story of the Bisson Frères (Louis-Auguste and Auguste-Rosalie) marks a decisive turning point in mountain photography. As official photographers to Emperor Napoleon III, they distinguished themselves by using very large-format glass plates, achieving an image quality that was unprecedented for the era.
The Ascent from the Grands-Mulets (1861)
The name Auguste-Rosalie Bisson is forever linked to the first documented photograph taken from the summit of Mont Blanc. This journey required several stages, the most iconic being the departure from the Grands-Mulets, a rocky outcrop at 3,050 meters where climbers took refuge before the final push. After an initial unsuccessful attempt in June 1861, Bisson renewed the expedition in July. The logistics were staggering: 25 guides were hired to transport heavy glass plates, volatile chemicals, and a portable darkroom tent across the glaciers to capture the human silhouette against the immense silence of the ice.
The Financial Decline (1863)
Despite their immense fame, the high cost of these heroic expeditions and the complex production of large-format prints weighed heavily on the studio’s profitability. In 1863, the Bisson Frères company was declared bankrupt, leading to the judicial liquidation of its prestigious archives.
The Acquisition by Ferrier & Soulier and Léon & Lévy (1864)
The liquidation of the Bisson estate led to the dispersal of their assets. It was at this time that Charles Soulier, a partner at the Ferrier agency, acquired a significant portion of the original negatives. By 1864, the Ferrier & Soulier agency was acquired by Léon & Lévy, who continued to develop the archive under their own label while maintaining the prestige of the original brand.
The 1868 Series: Mastering the High Altitude
While the Bisson brothers originally favored monumental formats, the new agency adapted these images for the booming stereoscopy market. This collaboration reached its peak in 1868, when Auguste-Rosalie Bisson returned to the Mont Blanc massif.
This specific plate, “9028. Départ des Grands-Mulets,” belongs to this “wonderful series” published by Léon & Lévy.
