Pierre Louis Pierson - [Carte-de-Visite Album of Prominent Personages]

Sergei Luvovich Levitsky upon his return to Russia, Levitsky opened his own photography studio in St Petersburg in 1844. His studio quickly became popular with the aristocracy and he became the official photographer of the Russian royal family. Levitsky is best known for his portraits of the Russian royal family, including Tsar Alexander II and his family. His portraits were highly regarded for their technical excellence and artistic quality. Levitsky's use of lighting and composition helped to establish photography as a legitimate art form in Russia. In addition to his portraits, Levitsky also photographed landscapes, architecture and everyday life in Russia. He was a pioneer in the use of colour photography, experimenting with various techniques to produce colour images. Levitsky's legacy lives on today through his photographs, which provide a valuable insight into Russian life in the 19th century. He died on 22 April 1898 in St Petersburg, Russia.

André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri (1819-1889) was a French photographer who pioneered the carte de visite, a small photographic print mounted on a card. He is credited with popularising this format, which became widespread in the mid-19th century and had a significant impact on portrait photography and mass communication. Disdéri's innovation made portrait photography more affordable and accessible to the general public, facilitating the exchange of portraits between friends, family and public figures. His work played a crucial role in the development of photography as both an art form and a means of social documentation.