Mlle Mercier; Mlles Mercier et Rousseau 1863

Editor: So, this is André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri's "Mlle Mercier; Mlles Mercier et Rousseau" from 1863, an albumen print photograph. It's fascinating how it uses multiple exposures! It’s… quirky, theatrical almost. How do you interpret this work within its historical context? Curator: Disdéri was a shrewd businessman, really transforming photographic portraiture into a widely accessible form of representation. We need to see these multiple images not just as playful, but as part of a larger project to democratize image-making and, simultaneously, construct celebrity. Editor: Democratize image-making? Curator: Absolutely. Think about the carte-de-visite. Disdéri patented this format – small, inexpensive portraits that could be collected and traded. These were hugely popular and reshaped social relationships. It created almost a currency of images that spread very rapidly, influencing cultural perception of celebrities, politicians, everyone. Now look at how Mercier is styled here, as if enacting genre or history painting within the studio setting. Editor: So it's playing on ideas of fame and performance? How would the public view this in the context of celebrity? Curator: They might view Mercier’s ‘performance’ here – her dress, the backdrop – as aligning her with a certain cultural identity, perhaps a romanticized peasant figure from popular theatre. The dissemination of these images reinforced certain ideas about identity. Did Disdéri help consolidate stereotypes or create wider possibilities? Editor: Interesting. It’s more complex than just taking pretty pictures, I now get a better idea of the intent to create personas for public consumption! Curator: Exactly. It is essential to look beyond just face value to see that in the 1860's photography wasn’t always only about reflecting reality, but influencing perception and disseminating power.