Under the main title The Napoleon. A photo studio is presented to the public a comprehensive project of documentation and study of the most important picture gallery in Barcelona during the second half of the nineteenth century.  A history which starts around 1852-53 with its founding by Antonio Fernández Soriano and Anaïs Tiffon, reaching three generations of photographic art professionals who worked at its headquarters in Las Ramblas until the mid ' 30 of the last century.  

Named with the familiar and flamboyant French name, with the intention of legitimizing the photographic profession and provide a prestigious image, the house Napoleon began his journey working on the daguerreotype.  Since then, it would be testimonial of the transformation of the photographic medium through its technological advances. A technique that would lead to capture an audience that celebrates the photographic portrait as a ceremony on social status and wishes of prosperity.

During the peak years of guest cards and albums, the study reached its greatest prosperity. A success that culminated in the establishment, in 1893, of a luxury building on the Rambla de Santa Mónica that housed the studio and home of the Fernández family. A landmark, which also held the first public screening in the county town of Lumière cinema.  

The exhibition at Photographic Archive of Barcelona has a wide selection of photographs taken by the study as well as various objects that belonged to the gallery, portraits and so on. Issues ranging from the daguerreotype to the picture painted, through the whole repertoire of formats and techniques used by photographers, retouchers and painters who were part of the laboratory.

Successful work that led to Fernández to open branches in Madrid (1880), Barcelona (1896) and Palma de Mallorca (1907), which did not decline until the thirties. The exhibition is completed with the publication of a bilingual catalog with text by Maria de los Santos García Felguera, forfeiture of the sample with Rafael Torrella. The Napoleon. A photo studio can be seen until May 14. Alejandro Martínez

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