Albert Levy (1847 – 1931) was a French photographer active in Europe and the United States. Most active in the 1880s and 1890s, he was a pioneer of architectural photography.
He developed a catalogue with 2500 titles that is available through the Gallica web project of the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) as well as in the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library. His catalogue covers France, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States. He was one of the first photographers to have studios on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean: in Paris and New York.
His main contribution to history documentation was his "Albert Levy's architectural photographic Series" in the 1870s that consists of albums with 30–40 albumen prints of the Architecture of the United States, with a size of 20x24 cm approximately. There are at least 36 series.
Biography
Levy was born in Paris in 1847 and died in Asnières-sur-Seine. However, the 1880 United States Census notes that he was 33 years old, which would put his birth date at 1847 if he was asked his "age on your birthday anniversary in 1880". Alternatively, it could be either 1846 or 1847 if asked for his age at the time of being asked (which could be before or after his birthday anniversary in 1880). The New York Passengers list 1820–1957 indicates that he came to the United States in 1876 and that his occupation was photographer. The 1880 Census gives his profession as bookseller.
Occupation
There are indications that Albert Levy was a photographer who also worked variously as bookseller, editor, and manufacturer. His main occupation was photographer. Active between 1870s-1890s, he worked in France in 1876 and in the United States in the 1880s and 1890s. He was one of the few photographers to have two studios at the same time in America and Europe. Actually, he had several studios: 77 University Place, New York 4 Bond Street, New York in 1880 Pine Street, New York in 1887 19 rue de la Chaussée-d'Antin, Paris 22 janvier 1901, A. Lévy, 4 av. Pinel, Asnières
Apart from photographer and bookseller, he was also pioneer in the manufacture of the gelatin dry plates in 1878. Because of the work he developed, he was an early competitor of George Eastman. He published several ads on "The Philadelphia Photographer" before Eastman's patent (1879): Levy's Emulsion Photographique Francaise Advertisement. [...] Unequalled for rapidity (fully equal to the both plate) intensity to any degree on simple development without silver or other intensifier and absolutely permanent and without change. Albert Levy sole proprietor. Preservative for dry plates (more rapid than wet) [...] Levy's Dry Plates Levy's Cyanotipes. Levy's Emulsion Dry Plate Camera.
Finally, he was an editor whose catalogue is in the Bibliothèque nationale de France(BnF) and in the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library.
Photography
The main occupation of Albert Levy was Architectural photography. He developed most of his work in the 1870s. He started working in Europe and then he moved to the United States when he was 33 years old, but he still worked in Europe. His catalogue of 1887 (with 2500 titles) demonstrates that he did architectural photography in France, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States. The took albumen photographies that collected with the following standards: Albumen 20x24 cm Cardboard 29x41 cm Albums with 30-40 photos each He focused his work on the new buildings of important architects like: Herter Brothers - Twin Houses, New York Richard Morris Hunt - William Kissam Vanderbilt Residence, New York George Browne Post - Cornelius Vanderbilt Residence, New York Henry Hobson Richardson - Oakes Ames Memorial Library, North Easton, Massachusetts Calvert Vaux - Samuel J. Tilden Residence, New York Charles B. Atwood - Dr. Stewart Webb and H. McKinley Twombly residences, New York (originally for William Henry Vanderbilt) C. Pfeifer - The Berkshires, New York E. H. Kendall - Odgen Goelet residence, New York R.H.Robertson Peabody and Stearns Viollet le Duc William Le Baron Jenney Guerinot
Important owners of the buildings he took photos are William Henry Vanderbilt, Cornelius Vanderbilt, William Kissam Vanderbilt, Samuel J. Tilden, Oliver Ames, John Harjés.