The Madame B Album c. 1870s

Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier crafted The Madame B Album, using albumen prints, watercolor, and graphite. Fournier's work exists in the intersection of photography and traditional art making, a common practice at the time, using photographs and integrating them into larger, hand-made albums. The photographic process itself involved a complex series of chemical treatments and darkroom techniques, which were labor intensive. The photographs show the rising popularity of portraiture among the middle classes. The addition of watercolor and graphite shows an attention to craft, and the tradition of family albums, in which the handmade imparts additional sentimental and aesthetic value. The album, which includes different people, represents a specific social context and class. In that sense, Fournier’s work embodies a moment of transition, blending photographic innovation with the personal, crafted touch of earlier album-making traditions, and reflecting the values and tastes of a particular social milieu. Ultimately, considering the social context, materials, and methods used to create the album, offers a richer appreciation of the work.