Georges Louis Arlaud Swiss-French photographer. Date of Birth: 24.06.1869 Country: France

1. Frédéric Boissonnas: A Master of Photography
2. Early Career
3. Recognition and Albums
4. Move to Lyon and "The Face of France"

Frédéric Boissonnas: A Master of Photography

Frédéric Boissonnas (1858-1946) was a renowned Swiss-French photographer who made significant contributions to the field.

Early Career

At the age of 22, Boissonnas established a small ceramics workshop in Thun, Switzerland. However, his passion for photography took hold as he began experimenting with creating photographs for enamel transfers. This led him to close his workshop and move to Geneva in 1896, where he founded a photo studio with Ferdinand Lacombe (Lacombe-Arlaud studio). Boissonnas was responsible for most of the studio's output.

Recognition and Albums

In 1900, Boissonnas became a member of the Swiss Photographic Society. He published albums of scenic photographs, including "The Valley of Saastal" (1902) and "Mont Blanc" (1904).

Move to Lyon and "The Face of France"

In 1907, Lacombe retired, and Boissonnas opened a second studio in Lyon in 1910. For two years, he maintained operations in both cities before closing the Geneva studio in 1912. He spent the next 30 years working in Lyon, earning the nickname "the Nadar of Lyon." In 1916, Boissonnas co-founded the Lyon International Fair.

His most significant work of his later years was the 576-page album of landscape photographs entitled "The Face of France" (1925-1927). Commissioned by the Parisian publisher "Horizons de France," the album sold over 45,000 copies in three editions. Boissonnas also published "The Face of France: North Africa," featuring his photographs of Morocco.