'Documents pour l'histoire du vieux Paris'

Eugène Atget created albums of his photographs for sale to businesses, to individuals and primarily, to institutions. Most surviving intact albums of his work are in French collections that bought them directly from Atget in the first years of the 20th century, such as the Musée Carnavalet, the Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris and the Bibliothèque Nationale. The present lot, recently found in the consignor's family's estate, is typical in that all of the pages feature an albumen print inserted into four corner slits with the title and negative number written in pencil in Atget's distinctive florid hand. The lack of adhesive, easily allowing removal of individual prints, could explain in part why intact albums are so rare. The 28 plates represent a broad sampling of the subjects that Atget was drawn to, from street views, architectural details and interiors, to shop fronts, including 'Au Bon Puits' with Atget's reflection (illustrated).