He closed his studio and returned to France in 1868. He himself believed that his nervous system had been damaged by exposure to potassium cyanide in the darkroom but it is more likely that he suffered from
manic depression. The last thirty years of his life were spent in a succession of hospitals, sanatoria and convalescent homes.
An
English Heritage blue plaque commemorating Silvy was unveiled at 38 Porchester Terrace, London, on 16 July 2019.[2]