Scope and Content of Collection

Almost all of the photographs in the album show exhibition building exteriors and interiors devoid of people indicating that the photographs may have been taken before the opening of the exhibition.

The first photograph in the album, by Bisson, is a panoramic view of the entire exhibition, taken from above. Bisson's other photographs include exteriors of buildings; displays of statuary, paintings, porcelain and crystal; and interior views of the gallery of machines and the gallery of work. A photograph of the Russian gallery includes a row of men in various ethnic costumes standing to one side. Another interior gallery view shows the display of a Polish photographer, Maximilian Fajans of Warsaw; several examples of his work are visible, including portraits of various kinds and landscapes.

Michelez was known for taking photographs of artworks, and three of his photographs are of the Belgian, French, and Italian displays of paintings and other artworks. Another of Michelez's photographs is an uncaptioned view of horse carriages on a street; the fifth photograph by him is one of the few photographs in the album depicting people and shows a large group of guide-interpreters.

The album is quarter bound with green cloth covers with the title gilt stamped on the front cover. The mounts bear a letterpress caption above the image: Exposition universelle, 1867 Paris. Centered below each image is a crest with address: Ad on de la Concession, 47 rue Le Peletier. At the bottom left of each image is a caption identifying the photographer of that image, variously: Bisson J ne fecit photo; Michelez fecit photo. At the bottom right of each image is a caption crediting the holder of the imperial commission to photograph the Exposition: Pierre Petit Phot. de la Comm on Impérial. Typeset captions identifying each image are adhered to the lower right corner of the mounts on 29 of the 30 pages.

Titles are from the captions except for one which is devised.

Arrangement

Arranged in a single series:
Series I. Exposition Universelle de Paris 1867 album, 1867.