This demonstration-lecture examines the emergence of photography in the first half of the 19th century and its gradual democratization from mid-century, coinciding with the golden age of European illusionism in salons and on theatre stages. It explores how illusionists appropriated photographic processes as a means of social recognition, advertising and artistic experimentation, employing images to extend magical narratives and stagecraft. The session reveals links between technological change and evolving performance aesthetics.
In French.