Lefébure, Charles

Identity

Category

Person (Male)

Alternative name or descriptor

Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

Status

  • Amateur

Details

Life dates

Brussels, 1862 - Brussels - Ixelles, 1943

Activity

1900 - 1901 Bruxelles - Ixelles
Charles François Louis, ° 27.5.1862; + 20.4.1943. Graduated in manufacturing engineering from the University of Liège in 1887. Engineer for and personal secretary to Ernest Solvay (see that name). As a socially committed amateur photographer, Lefébure undertook an extensive photo-reportage of poverty amongst home workers throughout Flanders, reproduced in "A travers les Flandres" by August De Winne (1902), translated as "Door arm Vlaanderen" (1903). The work was praised in the book's preface as follows: "... the magnificent photographic plates by Monsieur Lefébure, the authentic witness of visual evidence, add to the drama of the account. Monsieur Lefébure, deeply moved by the presentation of bitter misery reigning there, voluntarily offered to take the photographs that illustrate this appeal to the public's conscience." He documented "Bloemenwerf", the studio and home of architect and designer Henry van de Velde (1863 - 1957) in Brussels - Uccle, around 1900.
Member of the "Club Alpin Belge", Lefébure accompanied Ernest Solvay up the Matterhorn in 1894 and was King Albert I's climbing partner before and after World War I. A keen numismatist, he donated his collection of tokens and medals struck in occupied Belgium during World War I to the "Cabinet des Médailles" at the Royal Library, Brussels after publishing a study on the subject in 1923.

Locations

1900 - 1901 Bruxelles - Ixelles

Exhibitions

Genres / subject matter

Techniques

Bibliography/Webography

Context

Affiliations

Management

Record source

DIRECTORY_2017#0916

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation/revision

SFJ new 28.9.2018 based on information supplied by Pool Andries; SFJ revised 11.4.2019; SFJ revised 14.7.2020 based on information supplied by M. Demaeght

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