The Madame B Album c. 1870s

This photographic album page was crafted by Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier in the 19th century. Here we observe posed figures adorned in finery, arranged beneath a decorative ribbon. The fan, held delicately by the woman on the left, transcends mere fashion, becoming a potent symbol, its origins stretching back to ancient dynasties. Once a sacred object, it has since become an emblem of status and discretion. Consider too the crowns upon their heads, signaling power and prestige, mirroring celestial authority, as they echo in Byzantine mosaics, and medieval tapestries. The arrangement of images is no accident; Fournier orchestrates a visual dialogue. These carefully positioned photographs evoke a sense of dynasty, family, memory, and the cyclical nature of time and history. These symbols resurface, carrying echoes of the past into the present.