Pierre Petit (1832-1909)

Alt Text — "French actress Pauline Cico," Pierre Petit, salted paper print, 1850s?, Theatre Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard University

Pierre Petit began working as a daguerreotypist in 1849. He joined the studio of André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri and later formed his own studio with Antoine René Trinquart until 1862. In the 1850s and 1860s, Petit became well known for his series of celebrity portraits. This portrait is of the French actress Pauline Cico, who performed at the Théâtre du Vaudeville, Palais-Royal, and Ambigu theatres. The salted paper print made from a wet collodion negative exhibits a beautiful range of tones and detail.