The Madame B Album c. 1870s

Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier assembled this album page in France using albumen silver prints, watercolor, and gouache. It contains images of several well-dressed men and one older woman set amongst leaves and flowers in a woven basket. This arrangement of family portraits, set amongst the gentility of flowers, was a popular pastime for upper-middle class women in the mid-19th century. These albums provide us with a record of the fashions, cultural values, and social networks valued at the time. Through family portraits, women had control over the narrative of who they and their family were and how they wanted to be seen, crafting a very particular sense of self and their place in society. By studying photographs, garments, and social gatherings, historians can understand the cultural life of 19th-century France. The "Madame B Album" provides a glimpse into the lives of upper-class women and how they used art to define their social standing and personal identity.