Felix Nadar exhibition

Félix Nadar was the pseudonym of Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (April 6,

1820 – March 21, 1910), a French photographer, caricaturist, journalist,

novelist and balloonist. Nadar was born in April 1820 in Paris (though

some sources state Lyon). He was a caricaturist for Le Charivari in

1848. In 1849 he created the Revue comique and the Petit journal pour

rire. He took his first photographs in 1853 and in 1858 became the first

person to take aerial photographs. He also pioneered the use of artificial

lighting in photography, working in the catacombs of Paris. Around

1863, Nadar built a huge (6000 m³) balloon named Le Géant ("The

Giant"), thereby inspiring Jules Verne's Five Weeks in a Balloon.

The "Géant" project was unsuccessful and convinced him that the future

belonged to heavier-than-air machines. Afterwards "The Society for the

Encouragement of Aerial Locomotion by Means of Heavier than Air

Machines" was established, with Nadar as president and Verne as

secretary. Nadar was also the inspiration for the character of Michael

Ardan in Verne's From the Earth to the Moon. On his visit to Brussels

with the Géant, on September 26, 1864, Nadar erected mobile barriers

to keep the crowd at a safe distance. Up to this day, crowd control

barriers are known in Belgium as Nadar barriers. In April 1874, he lent

his photo studio to a group of painters, thus making the first exhibition

of the Impressionists possible. He photographed Victor Hugo on his

death-bed in 1885. He is credited with having published (in 1886) the

first photo-interview (of famous chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul, then a

centenarian), and also took erotic photographs. From 1895 until his

return to Paris in 1909, the Nadar photo studio was in Marseilles

(France). On his passing in 1910, Nadar was buried in Le Père Lachaise

Cemetery in Paris.

Great details in city life ... lovely.

An image with a great history lesson, first time ever to learn about Felix Nadar. I had the intuition to keep coming back to your portfolio and now I know why! Warm regards.

The first time I've heard of Nadar was the same day I took this photo..so I went to see his exhibition and I am glad I did. I am also glad to hear from you my friend.

Interesting production, good viewpoint. Thanks for bringing this man to our attention...Regards

An exceptional review as well as an interesting photo. The pairing of past, faded and romantic, with present, rushed and garish, is wonderful.

Nice modern...totem!...Ciaomau!

Has to be seen large in order to see the animated colorful surrounding vs. the B/W quiet figure in his exhibition PR print. Very nice juxtaposition. Thanks for the Interesting preface about his life and work.I googled and have found his photography examples, thanks.

Most interesting, not just the photo. Thanks for sharing this with us. Good information is a valuable thing......Holger

Ulična fotografija koja ima sve, veoma dobru kompoziciju, svetlo i priču. Crno beli plakati na stubu su odlična protivteža koloritu prolaznika. Sviđa mi se ova fotka. Čestitam, Vladimire.