Born in Algeria, Mesguich served as a Zouave before moving to France and joining the brothers Lumière, where he was assistant to Perrigot at the first provincial screening of the Cinématographe, in Lyon on 25 January 1896. He was then among the operators sent by the Lumières to launch the Cinématographe, and as a result, traveled extensively in France, the United States, Canada and Russia.