Emoplux

To mark the restoration of its collection of 300 Autochrome photographs by Batty Fischer, the Photothèque of the City of Luxembourg is hosting a special conference on the pioneering technique the Luxembourgish photographer used to capture the rich hues of nature.

First developed in 1903 and commercially produced between 1907 and 1934, the Autochrome plate—created by the Lumière brothers—was an innovative color photography process. Using a delicate layer of dyed potato starch grains, it produced vibrant, transparent positive images with remarkable color depth.

More than six decades after photography’s invention, Autochrome became the first color process to be mass-marketed, opening up new creative possibilities for both professional and amateur photographers. Like the earlier daguerreotype, it was a direct positive image, meaning each photograph was a unique original, shaped by light exposure in the camera. This gave Autochrome a distinct artistic and historical significance. The soft, pointillist aesthetic created by the colored starch grains made it particularly appealing to pictorialists and nature photographers.

The Photothèque’s collection highlights Batty Fischer’s mastery of Autochrome, placing him among the leading photographers who embraced color photography in the early 20th century. Notable figures who worked with this technique include Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Jacques Henri Lartigue, and Heinrich Kühn.

In this conference, Françoise Ploye will explore the technical aspects of Autochrome photography and discuss the challenges involved in its preservation. ( On May 7th at 6 pm)