Vintage French J. Jougla Glass Negative Archive, c. 1930s–40s

This evocative French photographic archive brings together a group of glass negatives, protective papers and handwritten notes, all housed in their period Société Lumière / J. Jougla box. More than a photographic object, it feels like a fragment of a private story that has somehow survived intact: names, places and everyday scenes identified in handwritten notes, then sealed away for decades.

The box still bears its original label for J. Jougla photographic plates, while the contents retain handwritten references to places and people, including École Militaire, family names, Rue Perrol, and “Poulailler”. One wrapper also appears to carry the date “7-8-44,” adding another intriguing trace to the archive’s history.

One surviving glass plate reveals several figures emerging from the dark negative surface. Viewed today, these fragile images have an almost ghostlike quality, a fleeting moment of ordinary life captured before it disappeared.

Key Features

• Object: Photographic glass negative archive with original box and paper ephemera
• Origin: France
• Period: Circa 1930s–1940s
• Brand: J. Jougla
• Company: Société Lumière
• Process: Silver iodo-bromide photographic glass plates
• Materials: Glass, photographic emulsion, cardboard and paper
• Contents: Glass negatives, protective paper sleeves and handwritten identification cards
• Language: French
• Markings: “Société Lumière,” “Plaques à l’Iodo-Bromure d’Argent,” “Pour Grands Instantanés,” “Marque J. Jougla”
• Dimensions: L 13 × W 10 × H 3 cm
• Weight: 388 g
• Condition: Vintage condition, in original, untouched condition, with age-related wear to the box and papers, including discoloration, creasing and softened edges. The photographic plates show signs of age and should be handled with care.

An intimate piece of French photographic history, appealing not only as a photography collectible, but as a surviving personal archive filled with traces of lives, places and moments now almost entirely lost.

Conservation Note: Historic glass negatives are fragile and their emulsion layers may be sensitive to handling and cleaning. They should be handled by the edges and stored in a stable, dry environment.