Born in Aix-en-Provence, Terris originally moved to Marseille to open a bookstore but then decided to pursue his interest in photography and started working at a local photo studio in 1856. In 1861 he received his first commission from the local government to photograph the modernization of the city. For almost 20 years Terris captured images of the rehabilitation and construction of city buildings, roads, canals, railroad tracks and the waterfront. His images are considered an important record of the changes and restoration that took place in one of the largest cities in France, and they were included in a publication by the French Ministry of Public Works.