The Juggler Manoel 1861

André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri made this albumen silver print, “The Juggler Manoel,” sometime in the mid-19th century. The work gives us insight into the development of photography as both an art form and a commercial enterprise in France. Disdéri, a pioneering photographer, patented the carte-de-visite format, which allowed for multiple images to be printed on a single sheet. This made photography more accessible and affordable, contributing to its rapid spread and integration into social life. Here, he has photographed a juggler mid-act and created four frames. It captures a moment in time, but it’s also staged. In the 1860s, as now, the proliferation of images changes the game; it changes social codes. To understand Disdéri's work fully, one might explore archives of popular culture, advertisements, and the history of photography. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.