The carte de visite format, popularized by André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri in 1854, revolutionized photography by making portraits accessible and collectible. While most photographers used the format for straightforward portraiture, some adventurous practitioners explored its creative potential through photomontage—a technically demanding process that involved combining multiple photographic elements into composite images. Among these innovators was Wenceslas Joseph Jezierza, a Polish émigré who brought a distinctly theatrical sensibility to his work in southern France.
The Art of Photomontage in Cartes de Visite
Creating photomontages in the 1870s-1890s required considerable skill and patience. Photographers employed several techniques: cutting and pasting prints from different negatives, using multiple exposures on a single plate, or combining separately photographed figures with painted or photographed backgrounds before re-photographing the entire composition. The process demanded precise planning, as elements had to match in scale, lighting, and tonal quality to create convincing illusions.
Photomontage cartes de visite served multiple purposes. Some were purely commercial novelties—humorous scenes or impossible situations designed to amuse and astonish. Others were theatrical in nature, showing actors in character or depicting dramatic narratives. Still others explored the medium’s potential for creating fantastical imagery, prefiguring the Surrealist movement by decades. These composite images were particularly popular as collectibles, offering something beyond the standard portrait that dominated the carte de visite market.
Wenceslas: A Photographer’s Journey
Joseph Jezierza Wenceslas (1838-1920) embodied the cosmopolitan spirit of 19th-century European photography. Born in Vilnius when Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire following Poland’s partition, he immigrated to Paris as a young man. Initially working as a jeweler, he married his compatriot Léontine Szpakowiez in 1866 and established himself in the city’s Polish émigré community. Sometime in the late 1860s, Jezierza transitioned from jewelry to photography, learning his new craft in the burgeoning photographic studios of Paris.
By the 1870s, Wenceslas—as he professionally styled himself—had moved south, working first as an itinerant photographer before establishing studios in Avignon and finally Cannes. This progression from itinerant to settled practice was common among photographers of the era, as establishing a permanent studio required substantial capital investment. The French Riviera offered particular advantages: a wealthy clientele of tourists and winter residents, excellent light conditions, and less competition than in major cities like Paris or Lyon.
The Theatrical Sensibility
The photomontages attributed to Wenceslas are presumed self portraits and reveal a sophisticated understanding of theatrical composition and narrative. Unlike straightforward documentary photography or formal portraiture, these composite images construct miniature dramas, with carefully posed figures, props, and settings arranged to tell stories or create humorous situations. The technical execution—seamlessly blending multiple photographic elements—demonstrates mastery of both the chemical and optical aspects of the medium.
This theatrical approach likely reflected both Wenceslas’s artistic ambitions and commercial acumen. Cannes, with its international clientele and seasonal visitors, provided an audience for novelty photographs that transcended the standard portrait sitting. These composite images served as conversation pieces, souvenirs, and demonstrations of photographic wizardry—appealing to clients who wanted something more memorable than a conventional portrait.
Personal Tragedy and Professional Legacy
Wenceslas’s later years were marked by profound personal loss. Both of his sons predeceased him—one dying in 1891, the other in 1899—leaving him a widower when his wife Léontine also passed away. He continued working in Cannes until his death on July 31, 1920, at the age of 81, having witnessed photography’s evolution from a novelty to an essential medium of modern life.
While Wenceslas never achieved the fame of photographers like Nadar or Disdéri, his work exemplifies the creative experimentation that flourished in provincial French studios. His photomontages represent a fascinating intersection of technical skill, artistic vision, and commercial enterprise—transforming the humble carte de visite from a simple calling card into a vehicle for imaginative storytelling. These composite images remind us that early photographers were not merely documentarians but also illusionists, artists, and entertainers who pushed the boundaries of their medium even as they earned their living through it.
