Auguste Salzmann
Jérusalem, Enceinte du Temple, Face-Sud de l'angle Sud-Est", 1854-1856
Blanquart-Evrard process salt print from a
paper negative
paper negative
33.3 x 23.5 cm mounted on original 59.0 x 43.8cm lithographed mount
11840 C
Copyright The Artist
A pioneering figure in the use of photography for archaeological study, Auguste Salzmann was a French painter and archaeologist whose work bridged art and science. Originally trained as a painter...
A pioneering figure in the use of photography for archaeological study, Auguste Salzmann was a French painter and archaeologist whose work bridged art and science. Originally trained as a painter of landscapes and religious scenes, Salzmann turned to photography during the 1850s, becoming one of the earliest to use the medium in archaeological documentation. His most significant achievement is the 1856 publication Jérusalem, a monumental photo book comprising 174 images taken during a four-month expedition in 1854. Intended to provide visual evidence in scholarly debates on the age and origins of Jerusalem's ancient walls, the photographs are notable for their compositional rigour and scientific intent. Though commercially unsuccessful at the time due to its high price, Jérusalem remains a landmark in 19th-century visual archaeology.
