NADAR (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon) (French, 1820-1910)
Catacombs of Paris “The mannequin’s siesta” Mannequin no 5, 1862
Albumen print
24.7 x 19.0 cm
Nadar had experimented with photography by artificial light since 1859, working with engineer Victor Serrin (1825-1905), inventor of an electric regulator able to adjust the bright, if toxic, lights of the first Bunsen batteries. Both men presented their experiments in the salons of the Cercle de la Presse Scientifique, with Nadar obtaining a patent for his lighting innovation in 1861. Ernest Lamé-Fleury, a mining engineer, quarry inspector and the person responsible for the Paris catacombs, invited Nadar in 1861 to document the transfer and arrangement of bones from the old Parisian cemeteries to abandoned underground quarries, begun for hygienic reasons at the end of the eighteenth century, and continuing through Haussmann's renovation and urbanization of the city during the Second Empire. Lamé-Fleury gave Nadar exclusive access to the catacombs and put his staff at Nadar's disposal. In return, Nadar himself met the costs of the work and made gifts of several albums of the photographs. Exposure times, with spotlights or cables visible in some images, were as long as eighteen minutes according to Nadar, who used mannequins dressed as laborers as models in his tableaux.
Nadar's series of photographs of the Paris catacombs are among the most striking images obtained using the then new technology and the first to be made underground.
NADAR (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon) (French, 1820-1910)
Catacombs of Paris "Reception of bones" Crypt no 9, 1862
Albumen print
21.8 x 15.5 cm
In 1861 Nadar was asked if he would document the transfer and arrangement of human skeletons exhumed by Haussmann's renovation and urbanization of Paris during the Second Empire. Nadar had exclusive access to the catacombs and a staff at his disposal courtesy of Ernest Lamé-Fleury, the official in charge. In return, Nadar paid for the work and made gifts of several albums of the photographs. The series of catacombs photographs, of which this print is part, are among the most arresting images obtained by artificial light and the first to be made underground.
NADAR (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon) (French, 1820-1910)
Sewers of Paris “Part of the gallery converted into a wagon garage,” 1865
Albumen print
25.0 x 19.1 cm
The modernization of the Paris sewers began in 1855 under the direction of Eugène Belgrand, chief engineer in charge of municipal services, as part of Haussman's urbanization of the city. Nadar's pioneering underground photography, of which the sewer series is an important early example, presented unique challenges requiring the use of artificial lighting and flash photography.
NADAR (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon) (French, 1820-1910)
Catacombs of Paris “Contrariety,” 1862
Albumen print
24.2 x 19.5 cm
Nadar had experimented with photography by artificial light since 1859, working with engineer Victor Serrin (1825-1905), inventor of an electric regulator able to adjust the bright, if toxic, lights of the first Bunsen batteries. Both men presented their experiments in the salons of the Cercle de la Presse Scientifique, with Nadar obtaining a patent for his lighting innovation in 1861. Ernest Lamé-Fleury, a mining engineer, quarry inspector and the person responsible for the Paris catacombs, invited Nadar in 1861 to document the transfer and arrangement of bones from the old Parisian cemeteries to abandoned underground quarries, begun for hygienic reasons at the end of the eighteenth century, and continuing through Haussmann's renovation and urbanization of the city during the Second Empire. Lamé-Fleury gave Nadar exclusive access to the catacombs and put his staff at Nadar's disposal. In return, Nadar himself met the costs of the work and made gifts of several albums of the photographs. Exposure times, with spotlights or cables visible in some images, were as long as eighteen minutes.
Nadar's series of photographs of the Paris catacombs are among the most striking images obtained using the then new technology and the first to be made underground.
NADAR (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon) (French, 1820-1910)
Catacombs of Paris "Man, remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return" Mannequin no 3, 1862
Albumen print
23.5 x 18.3 cm
Nadar's series of subterranean photographs of the Paris catacombs are among the most striking images obtained using the then new technology of artificial light and the first to be made underground. The images played a key role in expanding the popularity of the sewers and catacombs among middle-class Parisians. City authorities began offering public tours of underground Paris from the time of the 1867 Exposition. Altars and columns were installed, punctuating the arrangements of bones and skulls. Plaques with evocative quotations were added to encourage visitors to reflect on mortality.
NADAR (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon) (French, 1820-1910)
Catacombs of Paris “Pile of Skulls” Crypt no 5, 1862
Albumen print
20.5 x 15.9 cm
Ernest Lamé-Fleury, the engineer responsible for the catacombs, invited Nadar in 1861 to document the transfer and arrangement of bones from the old Parisian cemeteries to abandoned underground quarries. Nadar was given exclusive access to the catacombs and a staff. In return, Nadar paid for the cost of the work and made official gifts of several albums of the photographs. Among the most striking images obtained using the then new technology of artificial light and the first to be made underground, this series of photographs is scarce on the market and is among the rarest of Nadar's work.