Scope and Content of Collection

The collection comprises a group of 33 mounted albumen portraits from Jacques-Philippe Potteau's series Collection anthropologique du Muséum de Paris, that he produced for the Muséum d'histoire naturelle. The sitters include soldiers from the Tirailleurs algériens; members of diplomatic staff from French Cochinchina and Annam to Paris; Bohemians; and Swedes. Present are 12 pairs of frontal and profile portraits of individuals; two full-length seated portraits (Second Ambassador Pham Ph́u Thú and Secretary Nguyên vân Chât, both in formal court attire); a full-length portrait of Second Ambassador Phan-plu-Thú with his long hair cascading down the front of his coat and holding a comb in his hand; and three frontal and two profile unmatched portraits. All of the mounts bear annotations or labels describing the sitters that include their name; age; birthplace; rank; some measurements; and the date the photograph was taken.

Fourteen mounts have ink captions written beneath their images. An additional fourteen mounts have printed Collection anthropologique du Muséum de Paris labels adhered to the upper left corners of their versos. Five mounts have pencil annotations in the upper left corners of their versos.

Arrangement

Series I: Portraits from Jacques-Philippe Potteau's Collection anthropologique du Muséum de Paris, 1862-1865;