Jacques Isnardon
Jacques Isnardon (1860–1930) was a French bass-baritone, writer and voice teacher. After winning a competition at the Conservatoire de Paris, he made his debut as Baxter in Émile Paladilhe's Diane at the Opéra-Comique in 1885, before moving to Brussels and the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, whose history he chronicled. He sang in Die Meistersinger at Covent Garden, Manon at La Scala, and Le médecin malgré lui at Monte Carlo before returning to the Opéra-Comique in 1894. One of his students was the American actress, writer, and translator Virginia Fox Brooks. This photograph of Isnardon was taken by French photographer Nadar in the late 19th century.Photograph credit: Nadar; restored by Adam Cuerden