The Boulogne-sur-Mer municipal archives have a rich collection of 1,937 photographs, positive or negative images that are printed onto glass plates.  Glass was in fact used as a photographic material as early as 1850.  A light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts was applied to a glass plate.  This relatively simple technique means the plates can be preserved for long periods of time, under strict conditions.  Humidity and variations in temperature should be avoided, and careful attention needs to be paid to the intensity and duration of exposure to light, as well as avoiding contact with contaminating materials.  It is strongly recommended that the plates be removed from their original cardboard or wooden packaging; these materials contain chemicals that may damage the photographic image.

If these conditions are not met, the image quality may be affected.  This deterioration of both the image and the glass can be of a physical, chemical or biological nature.

Anon. 60Fi3 © Mun. Arch. Boulogne-sur-Mer

The main defect of glass plates is of course their fragility, some were broken or cracked.  The image layer can detach itself from the glass due to faulty preparation of the plate, use of low quality glass and especially unsuitable climatic conditions.  Excess humidity can cause the plates to stick to each other.  When the negatives were not thick enough, the photographers applied a reinforcing layer containing mercury.  This shortens the life of the sharpened image and yellows or whitens it.  This considerable alteration does not affect the quality of the prints obtained.

The municipal archive’s first task was to better package the plates in a storage area with close to ideal preservation conditions.  Firstly, each plate is wrapped in appropriate high quality paper, and then placed in an equally appropriate cardboard box.

This done, the next question was what to do with the plates.  Originating from different private or public funding sources, the vast majority of the plates were practically unusable and unsuitable for public display.

The only realistic solution to preserve and exhibit the photos was to scan them and touch them up digitally so that they could be used in various media (books, panels, etc.).

Nearly 900 of the plates come from the municipal archives.  Included in their collection are numerous photographs taken by Henri Caudevelle, who was contracted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1900 to photograph all the streets in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Certain establishments that owned other glass plates considered that they had neither the technical know-how nor the financial means to preserve them, so they decided to donate them to the municipal archives.  Consequently, Nausicaà and the Maison de la Beurière maritime museum gave the plates in their possession to the archives.  All those having a maritime theme have been scanned.

Furthermore, the archives received more than 1,000 photographs in 2009 from Mr Gornay, a private collector, including 538 glass plates.  A rich collection of photographs of the Gornay family, ship-owners, they shed a great deal of light on the unique lifestyle in Boulogne at the turn of the 20th century.

Out of the 1,937 glass plates stored in the municipal archives, 684 are more or less closely related to the maritime world.  From the streets of the Boulogne maritime quarter, fishing boats and cruise ships, to tourists on the beach, they are as rich in detail as they are varied.  Dating from the end of the 19th century, they clearly show that maritime activity was an integral part of Boulogne life at the time.

Thanks to the 2 Seas Interreg IV project, 684 raw scans were made in January 2010.  Out of the 684 plates, 320 of historical interest were chosen to be touched up and printed onto photographic paper in a 30 x 40 cm format.

Unretouched glass plate. Anon. 60Fi105 © Mun. Arch. Boulogne-sur-Mer

The same glass plate retouched. Anon. Private print. 60Fi105

Poster for the exhibition « Boulogne-les-Bains :
Photographs 1850-1914 » © Mun. Arch. Boulogne-sur-Mer

A project was soon set up to display these photographs, in the form of an exhibition entitled « BOULOGNE-LES-BAINS : photographs 1850-1914.

Boulogne-sur-Mer was a multi-faceted town in the latter half of the 19th century; apart from being a major port, it was also one of the main seaside resorts in France, as many postcards printed at the time show.

As well as large numbers of tourists, Boulogne also attracted pioneers of photography such as Baldus, Boutique, Maroniez and Grassin, but also many private individuals who took pictures of their families on the beach, in the hotels where they were staying and in the casinos where they entertained themselves, leaving behind a legacy of everyday life at the time, and of the fashion of bathing that partly shaped what Boulogne is today.

 This exhibition which was presented to the municipal archives between 11th September and 10th November 2010 is composed of about a hundred original documents, photographs and posters, chosen for their historic and artistic interest or for their unusual nature, as well as twelve panels that cover themes such as the casino, the beach, the hotels and neighbouring seaside resorts. 

View of a part of the exhibition « Boulogne-les-Bains : Photographs 1850-1914 » © Mun. Arch. Boulogne-sur-Mer

A 100-page catalogue was produced in conjunction with the exhibition, which contains many photographs.

The twelve panels are now mobile and can be exhibited by the project partners.  Any establishment wishing to exhibit them can do so on request at the municipal archives, who lend the exhibition free of charge, with the exception of transport costs which the lender is responsible for.

Scanning these glass plates opens up the possibility of other exhibitions.  Many themes appear in the photographs, and may become the basis of a new exhibition in the future.

Maxime BLAMANGIN
Municipal archives
Boulogne-sur-Mer