[Mathias Häusermann, Marie Antoine, Elise Häusermann, and Pepe Wöss]

Art Historical Context

Captured in the 1850s–60s by Swiss photographer Franz Antoine, *Mathias Häusermann, Antoine, Elise Häus, and Pepe Wöss* is a charming albumen silver print from a negative, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Photographs Department (David Hunter McAlpin Fund 1948). This was revolutionary in its era, producing richly toned images with exceptional clarity and detail, making it ideal for intimate portraits. Antoine, active during photography's formative years, mastered this wet-collodion process, which required coating glass plates with chemicals on-site for sharp results before they dried. The photograph features a casual group of four—likely family or friends—posing together, with smoking evident among them, as suggested by the tags. Such candid moments reflect mid-19th-century European social life, where tobacco use symbolized leisure and modernity among the middle class. Women and men sharing the frame highlight evolving gender dynamics in portraiture, moving beyond stiff formality. This work exemplifies early photography's role in preserving personal histories, bridging art and documentation. Its preservation at the Met underscores Antoine's contribution to the genre, offering visitors a window into everyday Victorian-era Switzerland.

About the Artist

Franz Antoine · 1815–1886

Franz Antoine (1815–1886) was an Austrian botanist and horticulturalist who served as court gardener at the Imperial Gardens of Schönbrunn in Vienna, one of the most celebrated horticultural establishments in nineteenth-century Europe. His career unfolded at the intersection of scientific botany and the decorative arts of the garden, positioning him as a key figure in the cultivation and documenta...