Charles Marville

Background

Charles Marville was born on July 7, 1816, in France.

Career

Little is known about his life besides his work of documenting the buildings of Paris for the French government's Commission for Monumental Historical Monuments.

Although Charles was a painter and lithographic artist, Marville is remembered for his photographs of old Paris. Beaumont Newhall (in History of Photography) says: "Marville's pic- tures of streets and houses, worn by human use but emptied of people, have the melancholy beauty of a vanished past." The photographer made calotypes, as well as salt and albumen prints from collodion wet plates.

Achievements

• Publications Books: Une Invention du XIXе siecle, Bernard Marbot, 1976 (Bibliotheque Nationale: Paris); The History of Photography, Beaumont Newhall, 1964. Anthologies: The Photograph Collector's Guide, Lee D. Witkin & Barbara London, 1979; The Magic Image, Cecil Beaton a Gail Buckland, 1975; Early Photographs &) Early Photographers, Oliver Mathews, 1973; French Primitive Photography, Andre Jammes & Robert Sobieszek, intro. by Minor White, 1969.

Works

More photos

• photo

  • "Rue de Constantine"

    1865

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• Beaumont Newhall (in History of Photography) says: "Marville's pictures of streets and houses, worn by human use but emptied of people, have the melancholy beauty of a vanished past."

Connections

Charles had no family, but a long time companion was included in his will.