Alfred Armand (1805-1888) came from a wealthy family and trained as an architect, being a student of Provost and Leclère. In 1827 he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he received several medals. In his early years he devoted himself to architecture and participated in the construction of numerous railroad lines, such as Saint-Germain and Versailles. Later, in the 1950s, he was commissioned to design the Hôtel du Louvre, where he was able to display great artifice. In 1863 he retired and began to cultivate his facet as a collector, meeting at that time His de la Salle. The latter introduced him to Prosper Valton (1834-1906), who soon set to work on Armand's collections.
Before his death, Armand bequeathed a significant part of his collection to the Cabinet des estampes and another part to Valton. The Parisian continued to add to his friend's collection until 1906, when he died. Following his wishes, Valton's widow bequeathed the collection to the Cabinet des médailles.
Bibliography
BRUGEROLLES, Emmanuelle (1984): Les dessins de la collection Armand-Valton, la donation d'un grand collectionneur du XIX° siècle à l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, París, pp. 8-21.