1845-1847 Address Unknown, New Orleans, Louisiana.
1848-1852 396 Broadway, New York, New York.
1852-1854 111 Superior Street, Williams’ Block, Cleveland, Ohio.
1855-1857 111 & 113 Superior Cleveland, Ohio.[1]
1859 243 Superior, Cleveland, Ohio.1
1860-1888 Address Unknown, Montreal, Canada.[2],[3]
1888-1901 Address Unknown, Buffalo, New York.3
1889 Address Unknown, Manitoba, Canada.3
The first mention of Alfred Boisseau practicing photography was on April 15 1854 while in Cleveland, Ohio, in addition to portrait and landscape painting. He also practiced photography while in Montreal Canada, in addition to portrait and landscape painting, he is also known for his painting of Indigenous peoples.
N. D. The New York Historical Society’s Dictionary Of American Artists 1564-1860. (New Haven, Connecticut.) P. 62.
Boisseau, Alfred (1823-?) Portrait and genre painter, drawing and painting teacher, and art dealer. Boisseau was born in 1823 in Paris and exhibited at the Salon in 1842. He was in New Orleans in 1845 and 1846, and in NYC in 1849 and 1852 , when he exhibited at the National Academy and American Art-Union, respectively. He apparently moved to Cleveland (Ohio) late 1852, advertising there in December 1852 and January 1853 as a portrait and landscape painter, teacher of drawing and painting, and art dealer. He was in Cleveland as late as 1859.
1848 November 2. The Evening Post. (New York, New York.) November 2, 1848, Vol. XLVI, P. 2.
Alfred Boisseau, a pupil of Delaroche, and a painter of great merit, has just opened a gallery of portraits and other paintings, at No. 396 Broadway, corner of Walker street. Mr. Boisseau is one of those men of talent whom the waves of the agitated ocean of European politics have just cast upon our shores, where we hope he will find an hospitable asylum. Some of his pictures have been exhibited with great success at the Louvre, among others a scene of Creole Life, which is now in his gallery. We counsel our connoisseurs to look at Mr. Boisseau’s collection.
1848 November 27. The Evening Post. (New York, New York.) November 27, 1848, Vol. XLVI, P. 2.
Exhibition of Paintings. Admission Free. Mr. Alfred Boisseau, Portrait and Historical Painter, lately arrived from Paris, wishing to have his work appreciated by amateurs, will open to the public for a few weeks his private gallery of paintings, portraits, drawings, &c., daily. Sunday excepted from 12 till 5 P. M. 396 Broadway, corner of Walker street, 1st floor.
Mr. Alfred Boisseau will receive a few pupils in his studio.
1848 November 29. The Evening Post. (New York, New York.) November 29, 1848, Vol. XLVI, P. 2.
Mr. Boisseau’s Gallery.—We refer our readers to the advertisement of Mr. Boisseau, an able French artist, of whom we have already spoken. His gallery of paintings is now open gratuitously to all who choose to visit it, at No. 396 Broadway. We counsel our friends to look at them.
1848 December 8. The Evening Post. (New York, New York.) December 8, 1848, Vol. XLVI, P. 3.
Boisseau’s Academy Of Drawing and Painting, No. 396 Broadway. Mr. Alfred Boisseau, pupil of Paul Delaroche, will open a morning class for Ladies, and an evening one for Gentlemen, in which he will teach the different styles of drawing and painting portraits, figures and landscapes. The pupils will be received in Mr. Boisseau Gallery of Paintings, at hours when visitors are not admitted. This location is such that Ladies may attend with perfect propriety For particulars apply at Mr. Boisseau’s Gallery of Paintings 396 Broadway.
Mr. Boisseau can refer to the following gentlemen:
Major Poussin, Minister of France to U. S.; Mr. Simounet, Counsul General of France, N. Y.
Charles King, Esq. N. Y.; W. C. Bryant, Esq. N. Y.; N. P. Willis, Esq. N. Y.
Regis de Trobriand, Esq. N. Y.; R. Gignoux, Esq. N. Y.; Charles de la Forest, Esq. N. Y.
Comte de Dioin, N. Y.; Charles Canda, N. Y.; L. & H. Peugnet, Esq. N. Y.; Paul Arpin, Esq. N. Y.
E, Didier, Esq. N. Y.; F. G. Berteau, Esq. Brooklyn.
1848 December 9. The Evening Post. (New York, New York.) December 9, 1848, Vol. XLVI, P. 2.
Instruction in Painting.—We refer our readers to the advertisement of Mr. Boisseau, who offers to give instructions in the art of drawing and painting in oil colors. Mr. Boisseau is himself an artist of high merit, whose works have already won for his a reputation in the land of his birth. The French painters are well grounded in the elements and principals of their art, and expert in the habit of reducing them to exact practice. This qualifies them for the through instruction of pupils.
1849 April 14. The Albion, or British, Colonial, and Foreign Weekly Gazette. (New York, New York.) April 14, New Series–Vol. 8, No. 15, P. 9.
National Academy of Design…
161. Scenery of Creole Life. A. Boisseau.—A picture singularly brilliant in colouring, reminding us in its exaggerated tone of the effect of coloured crayons. A handsome Creole, an infant, and a negress are painted in dolce far niente attitudes. We cannot praise the drawing, and were the lady’s lower limbs are bestowed it would be difficult to comprehend. The form, size, style, and gay colouring will attract notice, and perhaps find admirers. The picture is circular, and very handsomely framed; but from the peculiarity in the arrangement of the figures it somewhat reminds us of a target, with the bull’s eye distinctly marked. Attentive observers will see what we mean.
1849 April 17. The New York Herald. (New York, New York.) April 17, 1849, No. 5429, P. 1.
John Keese Auctioneer…Thursday Evening—April 19. Oil Paintings—Valuable and splendid Oil Paintings at the studio of Mr. Boisseau, at No. 396 Broadway, corner of Walker street, (over Stoppani’s Baths)—A valuable collection of ancient and modern Oil Paintings by celebrated masters, exquisite drawings, &c., all of which are now ready for examination. The sale will be positive, and offers to the lovers of art he public generally, and opportunity seldom met to furnish their galleries with pleasing works of art. Mr. Boisseau, celebrated as an artist, being about to travel through the United States, renders it important to him to close this concern, and to which public attention is respectfully invited.
1849 April 9. The Evening Post. (New York, New York.) April 19, 1849, Vol. XLVII, P. 2.
Oil Paintings.—The entire lot of paintings and frames, from the studio of A. Boisseau, is to be sold at auction this evening, at No. 396 Broadway, by Cooley & Keese. The pictures are nearly all from the easel of Bosseau, (sic.) consisting of originals and copies from old masters. It affords an excellent opportunity to any person who may desire to purchase pictures, as many of them are very fine, and have been visited by great numbers of persons while on exhibition in this city.
1851 December 15. The Evening Post. (New York, New York.) December 15, 1851, Vol. LI, P. 2.
American Art-Union. Catalogue Of Works Of Art to be distributed among the members at Tripler Hall, on Friday Evening, Dec. 19. The present collection contains more works of high cost and superior merit than that of any previous year, and will be increased in proportion to the amount of subscription received…
Subject of Pictures………Names of Artists
154* Flower Girl……….A. Boisseau.
*The pictures marked with an asterisk were purchased by the Art Union of the National Academy of Design, having been contributed by the Academicians for the benefit of the Academy.
1852 December 25. Morning Daily True Democrat. (Cleveland, Ohio.) December 25, 1852, Vol. 6, No. 305, P. 2.
Alfred Boisseau, Portrait And Landscape Painter, Keeps constantly on hand a fine collection of Landscape and Fancy Paintings, ready for sale. Pictures cleaned, repaired, and varnished.
Instruction in Drawing and Painting carefully given. Rooms No. 111 Superior street, Williams Block.
1853 August 13. Daily Forest City. (Cleveland, Ohio.) August 13, 1853, Vol. 2, No. 95, P. 3.
Alfred Boisseau, Portrait And Landscape Painter, Keeps constantly on hand a fine collection of Landscape and Fancy Paintings, ready for sale. Pictures cleaned, repaired, and varnished.
Instruction in Drawing and Painting carefully given. Rooms No. 111 Superior street, Williams Block. dec. 30.
1853 September 14. Daily Forest City. (Cleveland, Ohio.) September 13, 1853, Vol. 2, No. 122, P. 2.
Academy of Drawing and Painting. 111 Superior st., Williams’ Block. In answer to earnest solicitations, Mr. A. Boisseau, of Paris, and latterly of New York, has opened classes for ladies and gentlemen, in which he will teach the different styles of Drawing and Painting Portraits, Figures and Landscapes.
Drawing and Painting from Examples, Plaster Figures, and Living Models, will form principal features in the course of instruction thereby leading to that knowledge of form and power of delineating Nature so much desired by the Artists.
The instruction will be given in Mr. Boisseau’s studio, and under his immediate attention and personal instruction.
A choice and complete assortment of Artist’s Materials will always be found at A. Boisseau’s rooms, to be sold at New York prices.
1854 February 6. Daily Forest City Democrat. (Cleveland, Ohio.) February 6, 1854, Vol. 8, No. 2470, P. 5.
The amateurs of the fine arts are invited to step into Holbrook & Long’s Music Store and examine four paintings, executed by A. Boisseau. Two of them are portraits, which will be recognized at sight. The other pair are landscape paintings—one a view of the Cuyahoga valley, between Cleveland and Ohio City—which is pronounced fine.
1854 February 14. Cleveland Daily Plain Dealer. (Cleveland, Ohio.) February 14, Vol. IX, No. 272, P. 2.
Amateurs of Fine Arts are respectfully invited to go and examine the two attractive Oil Paintings now on exhibition and for sale at Holbrook & Long’s Music Store. A. Boisseau.
1854 April 15. Cleveland Daily Plain Dealer. (Cleveland, Ohio.) April 15, Vol. X, No. 13, P. 2.
Boisseau’s New Daguerrean Room, 111 Superior Street, Williams Block, Opposite Forest City House, Cleveland, O. Mr. A. Boisseau having secured the services of Mt. T. Magher, one of the best operators of the city of New York, now opens a new Room for Daguerreotyping, in common with his Painting room. The Room is nicely fitted up, and being constantly supplied with a fine collection of Oil Paintings, will be quite a rendezvous for the friends of the fine arts. Mr. B. has put to profit his long experience in Portrait Painting to procure the kind of light just calculated to produce the handsomest Pictures; and intending to follow Daguerreotyping as an Art, he has spared neither time nor money to gather up the best instruments and materials necessary to practice successfully.
Me B. is prepared as before to execute Portraits in Oil, Landscapes and Fancy Paintings, and would inform his pupils in Drawing and Painting, that the Daguerreotyping business will not interfere with their Lessons,, as he will continue to devote to them part of his time.
Advertisement ran from April 15 to 21, 1854.
1854 June 20. Cleveland Leader. (Cleveland, Ohio.) June 20, 1854, Vol. X, No. 69, P. 3.
Boisseau’s Daguerreotypes, are every day gaining popularity among our citizens. As a portrait painter and daguerreotypist. Mr. Boisseau ranks with the best. Call at his rooms. 111 Superior street, Williams’ Block. May 12.
1856 September 24. Cleveland Daily Plain Dealer. (Cleveland, Ohio.) September 24, 1856, Vol. XII, No. 22, P. 3.
State Fair…At the Fine Art Hall the exhibition is charming. By the skillful arrangements of the Superintendent, Allen Smith, Jr.,…
Boisseau’s portrait of Mr. Williams is excellent; his landscapes are indifferent in both subject and execution.
Ryder’s Photographs form a gallery of beauties, and cannot be surpassed for faithfulness and skill in coloring.
North Exhibits some very excellent photographs among the best of which are those of Mr. A. P. Winslow, Mr. and Mrs. Stevens.
1856 September 24. Cleveland Morning Leader. (Cleveland, Ohio.) September 24, 1856, Vol. 10, No. 204, P. 2.
Pen Jottings Taken On The Fair Ground Yesterday…Fine Arts Hall. This has been fitted up under the supervision of Mr. Allen Smith, Jr. in the fine taste which characterizes this well known artist, although every thing was not quite arranged. We think we hazard nothing in saying that a more charming display of artistical good things, has not graced any previous fair. The oil paintings both on canvas and photographic, were highly creditable to the artists Mr. Smith had his usual variety of finely colored heads, lifelike and beautiful. Nothing which we could say would add many thing to his well established fame. The death of the stag from Landseer will bear looking at more than once. Mr. Ryder exhibits some very fine photographs also colored by Mr. Alonzo Pease which were much admired. The two finest pictures in the room and those which attracted the most attention were two heads of Fremont, one a photograph by North, colored in oil by Smith, and one by Ryder, colored also in oil by Pease. (We noticed as singular that although there were some 6 or 7 pictures of Fremont there was none of Buchanan!) Boisseau also exhibited a number of oil colored Photographs which are much admired. Daguerreotypes, Photographs, Ambrotypes, etc. were there from North, Ryder, Boisseau, of Cleveland, Bisbee of Columbus, and G. W. Collins of Urbana, Ohio, Spherotypes from Stimpson, also of Cleveland.
1856 October 11. The Ohio Farmer. (Cleveland, Ohio.) October 11, 1856, Vol. 5, No. 41, P. 1.
Fine Arts Fair…Photographs And Ambrotypes. North, of Cleveland, stands without rival in this department of art. Some of his ambrotypes, are most exquisitely executed. Ryder, Boisseau, Bisbee, Mrs. Short, and Stimpson, were without merit; some were superior. Some of these pictures had a peculiar appearance, standing out, as it were, from the glass.
Photographs In Oil, (Life Size.) In this department, there were several competitors. Among these, North, Pease, Ryder, Boisseau, and Smith, stand prominent. The rivalship in coloring these photographs in oil, stands chiefly between Smith, Pease, and Boisseau, each of whom has a peculiar style. The general expression seemed to be in favor of those by Smith, though many preferred those by Pease—others, those by Boisseau.
1891 February 12. Buffalo Evening News. (Buffalo, New York.) February 12, 1891, Vol. XXI, No. 103, P. 2.
Portraits Prof. Boisseau and J. Theo Chabot, Artist. Oil, Pastel and Crayon Studio—20 Court St.
Advertisement was recorded from February 12 to March 10, 1891.
Buffalo City Directories. Published by The Courier Company, Buffalo, New York.
1891.
Boisseau, Alfred—Not Listed.
Boisseau, Leon—Artist—75 Delaware Place.
1892.
Boisseau, A.—Professional Artist—17 West Eagle—b—606 Main
Boisseau, Leon—Not Listed.
1893.
Boisseau, A.—Professional Artist—17 West Eagle—b—606 Main
Boisseau, Leon—Not Listed.
Additional directories not available on line.
Wikipedia:
Alfred Boisseau (1823–1901) was an American/Canadian artist who was born in Paris, France. He was known as a painter and photographer, who specialized in paintings of North American Natives and the West.
As a young man in his 20s, Boisseau immigrated to the United States, settling first in New Orleans, where his brother was working for the French consul. Except for a brief visit to Paris, he lived and worked in North America for the rest of his life. From 1848 Boisseau lived and worked in New York City and later in Cleveland. In 1860 he moved to Montreal and later to Manitoba, Canada in the western part of the country.
Biography
Alfred Boisseau was born in Paris, France. He had an older brother who later served in government and the diplomatic corps. Becoming interested in art, Boisseau studied under Paul Delaroche, a fashionable Paris artist whose style combined neo-classicism and romanticism.
In his early 20s, Boisseau moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, living there from 1845 to 1847, while his brother served as secretary to the French consul. Boisseau painted his first works on Native American themes – mostly of members of the Choctaw nation who were historically based in Louisiana and Mississippi. He returned to Paris, where his painting Louisiana Indians Walking Along a Bayou (1847), now in the permanent collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art, was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1848. After that Boisseau sailed back to the United States, settling in New York City. There he taught art from 1849 to 1852.[1]
By 1852 Boisseau was working as a daguerreotypist in Cleveland, Ohio. He also advertised as a portrait and landscape painter, art teacher and art dealer.
In 1860 he moved to Canada, where he opened a succession of three photographic studios in Montreal. While working as secretary and bibliographer to the Institut canadien de Montréal, he completed several paintings.[2]
Near the end of his life, he moved to western Canada, where he opened a studio in Brandon, Manitoba. There he produced paintings of Plains Indian natives. He returned to the United States and died in Buffalo, New York in 1901 where he is interred.
[1] Craig’s Daguerreian Registry.
[2] Wikipeadia.
[3] Early Painters and Engravers in Canada by J. Russell Harper.
Pioneer American Photographers, 1839 - 1860 