Well that definition of "fleur" seems a bit more a propos than my old
high school French dictionary which informed me that it meant -- are you
ready? -- "flower"!!!
But my feeling is that it must have had some other meaning in the
parlance of pictorialism -- the sense of something fairly specific
arises. The table of contents, for instance, lists under "La Beaute de la
Matiere pigmentaire,"
"1. Fleur ou Veloute
"2. Transparence et Profondeur
"3. Puissance, Vigueur, Intensite"
As for "Papier Artistique", it must have been a paper of the time, because
the list of illustrations which names as media "Platine," "Gomme," "Papier
Fresson" and "Procede Rawlins," also lists several as "Papier Artistique."
(Where is that Luis when we need him? Not reading his mail?)
Cheers, and hopes of vernis Soehnee to come,
Judy