Numa Blanc (1816-1897)

(André François Numa Blanc de Labarthe)

Numa Blanc started his career as a portrait painter, working oils, watercolour and pen and ink before branching out into photography. The Blanc’s main studio was in Boulevard des Italiens in Paris. and with his son, André (1849-1922) also had studios in Cannes and Nice. In the summer season of 1876 they opened their first studio in Scarborough. They operated form a number of premises each season until 1884. After this date they had sold their images (over 2000 photographs) to Henri Neumans. In 1880 it was widely reported that Numa Blanc was declared bankrupt at hearing on 20 April.

Photographic portrait of an unknown man with a beard by Numa Blanc
Back of Carte de Visite by Numa Blanc, Paris, Cannes, Nice and Scarborough

Portrait of an unknown man,

Carte de Visite

Newspaper cutting about Numa Blanc Scarborough photographer

Advert from the Yorkshire Gazette, Saturday 22 September 1877 (Courtesy: British Newspaper Archive)

Photographic Practice

  • Portraiture

  • Stereographs

  • Landscapes

Studios

Boulevard des Italiens, Paris, France

44 Rue de Lycee, Pau, France

Theakston and Co, 31 St Nicholas Street, Scarborough (1876)

Beulah Villa, Westborough, Scarborough (1879)

14 St Nicholas Cliff, Scarborough

References

Bayliss, A. and P., 1998, p40-41

Public Ledger and Daily Advertiser, 7 April 1880 - Notice of bankruptcy hearing, (British Newspaper Archive)