Nadar

Lore & Background

Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, universally known as Nadar, was a towering figure in early photography, aeronautics, and journalism. Born in Paris to a printer and bookseller, he abandoned medical studies after his father’s death to work as a caricaturist and novelist, moving among the bohemian circles of Gérard de Nerval, Charles Baudelaire, and Théodore de Banville. His nickname likely originated from a playful habit of appending “dar” to words. In 1854, he entered photography, initially letting his brother Adrien run the business, but legal disputes over the use of the name “Nadar” soon arose. His studio at 35 Boulevard des Capucines became a landmark, where he photographed a vast array of politicians, actors, writers, painters, and musicians. He rejected ornate backdrops and props, preferring natural daylight and capturing his subjects as active, natural participants. Nadar pioneered aerial photography in 1858 using the wet plate collodion process, overcoming the challenge of gas escaping from his balloon by inventing a gas-proof cotton cover for the basket. He also became the first to photograph underground, working in the Catacombs of Paris, and experimented with artificial lighting. His enormous balloon *Le Géant* inspired Jules Verne’s *Five Weeks in a Balloon*, and during the Siege of Paris in 1870–71, he organized the world’s first airmail service by balloon. In 1874, he lent his studio for the first Impressionist exhibition. He produced the first photo-interview, with the centenarian scientist Michel Eugène Chevreul in 1886. His son Paul continued the studio after Nadar’s death in 1910.

Reader's Guide

Nadar’s significance stems from his technical and artistic innovations in photography. He was the first person to capture aerial photographs, in 1858, using the wet plate collodion process; he overcame the challenge of gas escaping from his balloon by inventing a gas-proof cotton cover for the basket, which allowed for stable images. He also pioneered the use of artificial lighting, working in the catacombs of Paris, making him the first to photograph both from the air and underground. In his studio, he rejected elaborate backdrops and unnecessary props, preferring natural daylight, and his portraits are noted for their natural poses and individual character, breaking conventions by capturing subjects as active participants rather than passive sitters. He photographed a wide range of notable figures, including politicians, writers, painters, and musicians. In 1886, with his son Paul, he produced what may be the first photo-reportage: an interview with the centenarian scientist Michel Eugène Chevreul, published in a journal. Beyond photography, Nadar was a passionate balloonist and proponent of heavier-than-air flight. He commissioned the enormous balloon *Le Géant*, which inspired Jules Verne’s *Five Weeks in a Balloon*; Verne and Nadar co-founded a society for aerial navigation. During the Siege of Paris, he organized balloon flights carrying mail, establishing the world’s first airmail service. He also lent his studio for the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874.

Did You Know?

• He pioneered artificial lighting in photography, working in the Catacombs of Paris, and was the first to photograph underground.
• His enormous balloon Le Géant inspired Jules Verne's Five Weeks in a Balloon, and Nadar himself inspired the character Michael Ardan in From the Earth to the Moon.