A 19th-century French photographer and member of the French Photographic Society, Séraphin-Médéric Mieusement, took thousands of photographs of architectural monuments. Miesman was born in 1840, became interested in photography at the age of 19 and at about the same time met the architect Felix Louis Duban. Duban participated in the restoration of the castles of Blois, Chantilly, and Fontainebleau, and collaboration with Miesmin played an important role in the development of the young photographer.
In 1875, Miesmin began to photograph buildings that were given the status of “historical monument”. Three years later, he presented a series of photographs at the World Exhibition in Paris, for which he received a silver medal. Miesman took about six thousand photographs for the commission for the protection of historical monuments. Created in 1837, the commission compiled a list of 1,082 objects during the first three years of its activity. The list includes ancient and medieval buildings, including many religious buildings. The public organization “Heliographic Mission”, formed in 1851, was engaged in photographing historical monuments. And although Miesman was not a member of this group, his work was as significant and had the same success as the photographs of the Heliographic Mission.
Miesman photographed entire buildings and individual architectural elements: doors, columns, arches, bas-reliefs. Here are photographs of French churches, towers and other structures in Ganagobi, Perigueux, Toulouse, Reims, etc.
Sources:
musee-orsay.fr
