Free Printable Collage Sheets from the Madame B Album: Victorian Photocollage for Junk Journals
Free Printable Collage Sheets from the Madame B Album (Victorian Photocollage)
Bring Victorian charm into your junk journals with these free printables made from the Madame B Album. This 1870s treasure combines portrait photography with painted watercolor scenes, and now you can download and print five collage sheets full of images from the original album to use as journal cards, inserts, and backgrounds.
A Quick Look Inside:
Free download: 5 printable collage sheets made directly from the 1870s Madame B Album
What’s included: 3 sheets of 3.5" × 2" journal cards, 1 sheet of 2.5" × 4.25" journal cards, and 1 sheet of four large images for backgrounds, flaps, or inserts
About the album: Created by Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier, the Madame B Album blends small portraits with whimsical watercolor scenes (now in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection)
Why it matters: A rare example of Victorian photocollage and an early form of mixed media that feels like 19th-century junk journaling
Use them for: Junk journals, art journals, scrapbooks, clusters, tip-ins, flip-outs, specimen windows, or layered collage bases
If you love vintage photographs with a touch of whimsy, today’s freebies are for you! I’ve put together a collection of printable collage sheets made directly from the Madame B Album, a rare Victorian-era photocollage book created in the 1870s by French artist Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier. The album itself is part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection, and it’s filled with tiny portraits set into beautiful, hand-painted watercolor scenes. It’s honestly one of the most magical examples of Victorian mixed media I’ve ever seen.
For this giveaway, I’ve formatted many of the original pages into collage sheets that are ready to use in your junk journals, art journals, or scrapbooks. They’re perfect for anyone who loves the intimate, storybook feel of Victorian portrait albums.
What You’ll Get in This Free Collage Sheet Set
This printable bundle includes five sheets that you can download and print at home:
Three sheets of 3.5" × 2" journal cards (perfect for pockets, clusters, or layered embellishments)
One sheet of 2.5" × 4.25" journal cards (a nod to the traditional carte-de-visite size)
One sheet with four larger images that work beautifully as backgrounds, fold-out flaps, or junk journal inserts
Each sheet is made up of images of actual pages from the Madame B Album, so you’ll see genuine Victorian portraits framed within those wonderfully imaginative painted backgrounds. It’s the real thing, not just inspired-by artwork, and it brings all the charm of the 19th century straight to your craft table.
Printing tip: Print at 100% scale for true sizing, then trim. Ink the edges for an authentic, timeworn look.
3.5 x 2 Inch Journal Cards
What Is the Madame B Album?
The Madame B Album was created in France in the 1870s by Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier, who combined small photographic portraits with watercolor settings. Instead of simply pasting photos into a standard album, she placed each portrait into a painted little world, sometimes among flowers, sometimes within decorative frames, and often in playful, surreal compositions.
Think of it like early scrapbooking meets collage art: part photography, part illustration, part storytelling. The result is a one-of-a-kind album that feels incredibly modern, even though it was made nearly 150 years ago.
The pages are intimate, imaginative, and layered. Exactly the kind of mixed-media vibe so many of us are chasing in our journals today.
A Little Background on Victorian Photo Albums
To really appreciate albums like Madame B, it helps to know what photo albums meant in the Victorian era.
The rise of the carte-de-visite: In the mid-1850s, small mounted photographs called cartes-de-visite (about 2.5" × 4") became hugely popular. Families and friends would trade and collect them, kind of like calling cards with portraits.
Albums as social keepsakes: Homes often kept albums in the parlor, and guests would flip through them just like we scroll through photo feeds today. They weren’t just personal keepsakes. They were social objects, shared and enjoyed in groups.
Photocollage culture: Some people took albums a step further by cutting, arranging, and embellishing photographs with drawings, painting, or decorative paper. This practice, called Victorian photocollage, was especially popular among women of artistic circles.
The Madame B Album is one of the most beautiful examples of this trend, blending portraits and painted scenes into a whimsical hybrid art form.
How These Sheets Fit into Junk Journaling
Because the pages of the Madame B Album were originally small portraits framed in painted scenes, they translate perfectly into journal cards and inserts. Here’s how you can use them:
Small journal cards (3.5" × 2") – tuck them into pockets, add them to clusters, or turn them into little flip-ups with washi tape.
Tall cards (2.5" × 4.25") – these are sized like vintage carte-de-visite portraits, so they feel very authentic slipped into tuck spots or side pockets.
Large pages – use them as tip-ins, fold-out flaps, or even as full-page backgrounds to set the tone for a spread.
Each card already has that layered, collage-like look, so you don’t need to add much, though they also make great bases if you like to keep building with lace, stamps, or stenciling.
3.5 x 2 Inch Journal Cards
More Creative Ideas for Your Album Pages
Here are a few more ways to use these printables in your journals:
Flip-up photo tabs: Attach a tall card to a page with washi so it flips up, then use the back for journaling.
Cluster accents: Layer one of the small cards with fabric scraps, postage stamps, and a wax seal for a dimensional embellishment.
Specimen-style windows: Cut an oval into a background sheet, slip one of the portraits behind acetate, and stitch around it.
Pocket fillers: Ink the edges of the smaller cards, add a bit of handwriting in sepia pen, and slip them into a vellum pocket.
Full-page base: Use one of the large sheets as the starting point for a spread, then add ephemera layers, journaling spots, and found papers on top.
Since these sheets are made directly from Madame B Album pages, they already have that mix of photography and painting built in, which makes them extra versatile.
Why These Images Feel So Special
I love working with Victorian imagery in general, but the Madame B Album feels especially magical. It’s not just a collection of photos. It’s a conversation between photography and art, playfully blending two mediums that were still new and exciting in the 19th century.
When you print these sheets and slip them into your journal, you’re continuing that same creative tradition: mixing, layering, reimagining. It’s a direct link between Victorian photocollage culture and today’s mixed-media journaling.
2.5 x 4.25 Inch Journal Cards
Frequently Asked Questions about the Madame B Album Printables
Q: What exactly is the Madame B Album?
A: The Madame B Album is a Victorian-era photocollage book created in the 1870s by French artist Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier. Instead of just pasting portraits into a plain album, she placed them into whimsical, hand-painted watercolor scenes. The original album is preserved in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection.
Q: Are these printables reproductions of the actual album?
A: Yes! These collage sheets are made directly from scanned images of real pages from the Madame B Album. They aren’t inspired-by designs. They’re authentic 19th-century artworks re-sized and formatted into journal-friendly sheets.
Q: What sizes are included in the free download?
A: The set includes five pages:
Three sheets of 3.5" × 2" small journal cards
One sheet of 2.5" × 4.25" tall journal cards (similar to carte-de-visite portraits)
One sheet with four large images that work beautifully as backgrounds, flaps, or inserts
Q: How do I print these for the best results?
A: Print at 100% scale on your printer’s highest quality setting. I recommend 32 lb smooth paper for the smaller cards, or 65–110 lb cardstock for sturdier inserts. For a vintage look, ink the edges or print on cream-colored paper.
Q: Can I use these in journals I sell?
A: Yes, you can use the printed sheets in your handmade journals and other physical craft projects for sale. You can’t, however, resell the digital files themselves or distribute them as your own printable set.
Q: Why are Victorian photo albums such a big deal?
A: During the mid-1800s, photography was booming, and small portrait prints (called cartes-de-visite) became wildly popular. People collected them, traded them, and stored them in decorative albums, much like we use social media or scrapbooks today. Albums like Madame B show how creative people were with arranging and decorating these portraits.
Q: What makes the Madame B Album different from a normal Victorian photo album?
A: Most Victorian albums were straightforward collections of portraits. Madame B is unique because Fournier painted imaginative watercolor settings around each photo, turning the album into a one-of-a-kind artwork. That’s what makes these pages so special. They’re basically Victorian junk journaling before junk journaling existed!
3.5 x 2 Inch Journal Cards
Final Thoughts
The Madame B Album is one of those treasures that makes you realize just how long people have been experimenting with images, paper, and paint. It’s basically Victorian junk journaling, and I love that we can bring that history into our own projects.
I hope these free collage sheets inspire you to create spreads that feel both vintage and imaginative. Whether you use them as simple inserts or as the base for layered collage, they carry a little piece of 19th-century art history right into your journal.
4 Large Images
Love These Printables? Support The Art Scavenger!
I love sharing free vintage printables, and if you enjoy them, there are easy ways to support my work so I can continue creating and offering more free designs:
You may also enjoy these free collage sheets.
Terms of use:
Free to use for personal or commercial projects. You may print the collage sheets as many times as you wish for your personal crafts or in your projects to sell, including: art journals, scrapbooks, junk journals, collage art, etc. You may not redistribute or sell the collage sheets “as is" in either print or digital form.
If you wish to share the files on your own website, please do not make the files available for download directly from your site. Instead, include an image with a link back to this site.
To the best of my knowledge, these are all royalty free images that are in the Public Domain in the US. However, you should always do your own research if you plan to use them commercially.
