Extracting a molar.
Journal Pour Rire, March 30, 1850
En Ballon, from LEclair, August 21, 1852
Alexander Dumas
Enlarged section of the Pantheon with Nadar self-mocking self-portrait and dedication to literary scholars of the 19th century in the 4th millenium.
A drawing of friend and fellow man of letters, Arsene Houssaye, who Nadar later photographed. Chocolatier Guerin-Boutron used a handful of his liteary portraits on their trading cards.
A published cartoon which expressed the tensions between the use of paintings and photographs.
Adrien Tournachon, self portrait
Dr. Duchenne and Adrien Tournachon, Terror, illustration for Mécanisme de la physionomie humaine, 1854
Gustave Doré by Adrien c1854. Felix discovered this young talent at Le journal pour rire.
Pierrot Laughing. Nadar and Adrien Tournachon, 1854-55
Charles Debureau out of costume--Adrien Tournachon, 1854-1855
Adrien Tournachon (formerly Nadar the Younger), 1858. This woodcut by C. Dumoulin was published shortly before Nadar basically banished his brother Adrien.
A Pinzgauer black bull documented by Adrien in 1856. Starting the previous year, Adrien photographed many animals for agricultural shows.
Three Acrobats, 1861, by Adrien
Extracting a molar.
Journal Pour Rire, March 30, 1850
En Ballon, from LEclair, August 21, 1852
Alexander Dumas
Enlarged section of the Pantheon with Nadar self-mocking self-portrait and dedication to literary scholars of the 19th century in the 4th millenium.
A drawing of friend and fellow man of letters, Arsene Houssaye, who Nadar later photographed. Chocolatier Guerin-Boutron used a handful of his liteary portraits on their trading cards.
A published cartoon which expressed the tensions between the use of paintings and photographs.
Adrien Tournachon, self portrait
Dr. Duchenne and Adrien Tournachon, Terror, illustration for Mécanisme de la physionomie humaine, 1854
Gustave Doré by Adrien c1854. Felix discovered this young talent at Le journal pour rire.
Pierrot Laughing. Nadar and Adrien Tournachon, 1854-55
Charles Debureau out of costume--Adrien Tournachon, 1854-1855
Adrien Tournachon (formerly Nadar the Younger), 1858. This woodcut by C. Dumoulin was published shortly before Nadar basically banished his brother Adrien.
A Pinzgauer black bull documented by Adrien in 1856. Starting the previous year, Adrien photographed many animals for agricultural shows.
Three Acrobats, 1861, by Adrien

GALLERY 1 1 of 4—Click photo for popup gallery

GALLERY 1

1 of 4—Click photo for popup gallery

A selection of Nadar's range, including photos by brother Adrien and son Paul, divided into four sections. Attribution has always been a challenge, because the Nadar studios were fluid enterprises, often collaborative, usually to Felix's benefit, especially when money and reputation were on the line. Each of the three men took amazing photographs, whether truly alone or with Nadar's oversight. I feel Adrien's approach was the most free and artistic, while Nadar had a more direct and conversational style. Paul benefitted greatly from the advances in technology, many of which he refined, and a more level-headed professional eye towards studio photography. The quality of the surviving photographs varies widely, mostly due to the cruelty of time and the early, crude processes. Many iconic images are actually reprints made by Paul twenty or more years after their creation.

© 2020-24 Paul Takeuchi

Baby Paul with his wet nurse
Paul on his bicycle.
Studio portrait of Paul as butterfly catcher,
A rarely posing Ernestine, dressed in a Middle Eastern costume, around 1860.
Nadar, Victor Hugo, ca 1870
Victor Hugo on his Death Bed, 1885
Alexandre Dumas, Père, 1855
Emile Zola,  ca 1885
Guy de Maupassant, ca 1888
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, ca 1877
Jules Verne, Paris, August 1878, a close friend of Nadars.
George Sand, ca 1864. Another iconic image.
Charles Baudelaire, ca 1865. The author of Les Fleurs du Mal was a good friend of Nadar
Baudelaire, ca 1862. The intensity of the stare!
Gustave Courbet, ca 1860s
Painter, illustrator, Gustave Dore, ca 1856-58
Delacroix, ca 1857
Gioacchino Antonio Rossini, 1856
The reception room in the studio at 51 Rue d’Anjou-Paul Nadar, around 1910 (by Paul)
View of the sunlit posing room at 51 Rue d’Anjou--Paul Nadar, around 1910
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Theater portraits were another Nadar specialty.
Bernhardt in Tosca, 1882.
Sarah Bernhardt as Gismonda
Angele, an actress, 1872-74.
An iconic portrait of Bernhadt from 1864.
Another from the same series. Bernhardt was one of the first actresses to be photographed for her entire career.
Bernhardt, ca 1860. These images and poses became the template for celebrity photography.
Mimi, ca 1856-59. The photograph that perhaps defined bohemianism, and illustrated Scenes from Bohemian Life.
This sensual study of baritone Marie Laurent ca 1856, has been riffed and sampled endlessly.
Photographed as a study for painter Jean-Léon Gérôme, this Standing Female Nude, ca 1860-61, is model and muse Marie Leroux, aka Musette.
Self-portrait, turning, in 12 poses, c1865. The first animated GIF!
Baby Paul with his wet nurse
Paul on his bicycle.
Studio portrait of Paul as butterfly catcher,
A rarely posing Ernestine, dressed in a Middle Eastern costume, around 1860.
Nadar, Victor Hugo, ca 1870
Victor Hugo on his Death Bed, 1885
Alexandre Dumas, Père, 1855
Emile Zola,  ca 1885
Guy de Maupassant, ca 1888
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, ca 1877
Jules Verne, Paris, August 1878, a close friend of Nadars.
George Sand, ca 1864. Another iconic image.
Charles Baudelaire, ca 1865. The author of Les Fleurs du Mal was a good friend of Nadar
Baudelaire, ca 1862. The intensity of the stare!
Gustave Courbet, ca 1860s
Painter, illustrator, Gustave Dore, ca 1856-58
Delacroix, ca 1857
Gioacchino Antonio Rossini, 1856
The reception room in the studio at 51 Rue d’Anjou-Paul Nadar, around 1910 (by Paul)
View of the sunlit posing room at 51 Rue d’Anjou--Paul Nadar, around 1910
View of the interior of the studio at 35 Boulevard des Capucines, with Nadars Pantheon and other framed caraicatures-Félix Nadar, around 1861.
Paul Nadar posing in front of the stone-lined waterfall in the studio at the Capucines studio.
Theater portraits were another Nadar specialty.
Bernhardt in Tosca, 1882.
Sarah Bernhardt as Gismonda
Angele, an actress, 1872-74.
An iconic portrait of Bernhadt from 1864.
Another from the same series. Bernhardt was one of the first actresses to be photographed for her entire career.
Bernhardt, ca 1860. These images and poses became the template for celebrity photography.
Mimi, ca 1856-59. The photograph that perhaps defined bohemianism, and illustrated Scenes from Bohemian Life.
This sensual study of baritone Marie Laurent ca 1856, has been riffed and sampled endlessly.
Photographed as a study for painter Jean-Léon Gérôme, this Standing Female Nude, ca 1860-61, is model and muse Marie Leroux, aka Musette.
Self-portrait, turning, in 12 poses, c1865. The first animated GIF!

GALLERY 2 2 of 4—Click photo for popup gallery

A selection of Nadar's portraits and views of the studios.

© 2020-24 Paul Takeuchi

His first aerial photograph, 1855.
Paris, preparing for the 2nd flight of the Géant--Nadar,1863. The Géant is on the left, while the balloon on the right is regular sized.
Daumier drawing from 1862. "Nadar elevating photography to the heights of art."
Self-caricature as obsessed balloonist. The big-headed portrait style influenced many artists.
Nadar photographed the interior of the Géant while it was being inflated. 1863-64.
Dragging the Géant, an illustration of the terrible accident near Hanover, Germany, based on a sketch by Adrien.
Nadar photographed this model of the Géant so that Adrien could sketch it and make a painting. 1864.
The Géants basket after the accident in 1863.
The crash was so popular even chocolatier Guérin-Boutron used an illustration of it with their chocolate.
Self-portrait with Ernestine, aloft in the studio, around 1862.
Behind the scenes at the Boulevard des Capucines studio. Already elaborate sets were being constructied for photographs.
Model of Ponton dAmécourts steam-powered helicopter, with a parachute--Nadar, around 1863
A souvenir from a Nadar presentation on artifical light photography at a scientific salon, 1859.
Self-portrait in the studio with artificial light, 1861. Perhaps a main motivation for inventing electric light was that his studio portraiture business could continue long after the sun went down.
The Banker Ds Hand, 1861. Taken with sunlight, but printed with aritifial light.
1862 photograph of the Catacombs. The director commissioned Nadar to document the tunneled ossuary.
Nadar lights illuminating more of the Catacombs. 1862.
Report on the sewers of Paris Notre Dame bridge, Nadar, 1865.
Inside a pneumatic caisson in Marseille. Nadar,  1899.
Another view in Marseille, 1899.
Original drawing by Cham. 1865. Are you looking for Mr. Nadar? He is no longer up high; he is down below.
Cover a catalog for the General Office of Photography, Nadars photo services and supply business.
Ads for view cameras and photo chemistry for Office General de Photographie, 1891.
Paul Nadar photographed the aftermath of the fire that destoyed the Opera Comique, 1887.
Alberto Santos-Dumont in the cockpit of the Santos-Dumont N°4 dirigible balloon--Paul Nadar, c1900
His first aerial photograph, 1855.
Paris, preparing for the 2nd flight of the Géant--Nadar,1863. The Géant is on the left, while the balloon on the right is regular sized.
Daumier drawing from 1862. "Nadar elevating photography to the heights of art."
Self-caricature as obsessed balloonist. The big-headed portrait style influenced many artists.
Nadar photographed the interior of the Géant while it was being inflated. 1863-64.
Dragging the Géant, an illustration of the terrible accident near Hanover, Germany, based on a sketch by Adrien.
Nadar photographed this model of the Géant so that Adrien could sketch it and make a painting. 1864.
The Géants basket after the accident in 1863.
The crash was so popular even chocolatier Guérin-Boutron used an illustration of it with their chocolate.
Self-portrait with Ernestine, aloft in the studio, around 1862.
Behind the scenes at the Boulevard des Capucines studio. Already elaborate sets were being constructied for photographs.
Model of Ponton dAmécourts steam-powered helicopter, with a parachute--Nadar, around 1863
A souvenir from a Nadar presentation on artifical light photography at a scientific salon, 1859.
Self-portrait in the studio with artificial light, 1861. Perhaps a main motivation for inventing electric light was that his studio portraiture business could continue long after the sun went down.
The Banker Ds Hand, 1861. Taken with sunlight, but printed with aritifial light.
1862 photograph of the Catacombs. The director commissioned Nadar to document the tunneled ossuary.
Nadar lights illuminating more of the Catacombs. 1862.
Report on the sewers of Paris Notre Dame bridge, Nadar, 1865.
Inside a pneumatic caisson in Marseille. Nadar,  1899.
Another view in Marseille, 1899.
Original drawing by Cham. 1865. Are you looking for Mr. Nadar? He is no longer up high; he is down below.
Cover of a catalog for the General Office of Photography, Nadars photo services and supply business.
Ads for view cameras and photo chemistry for Office General de Photographie, 1891.
Paul Nadar photographed the aftermath of the fire that destoyed the Opera Comique, 1887.
Alberto Santos-Dumont in the cockpit of the Santos-Dumont N°4 dirigible balloon--Paul Nadar, c1900

GALLERY 3 3 of 4—Click photo for popup gallery

Some photos of Nadar's aerial photos, ballooning, and various inventions, from lighting to cameras, and how Nadar used them in documentary photography. Nadar's parallel career as balloonist and aircraft enthusiast is smilar to Elon Musk's pursuit of Mars with Space X. Nearly 200,000 people turned out for some of the Géant's launches and passengers paid 1000 Fr to ride! Paul Nadar advanced the technology of photography by partnering with George Eastman (Kodak) and was instrumental in the promotion of instant photography with silver gelatin film, which eventually led to the Brownie camera and snapshot photography for the masses.

Some photos of Nadar's aerial photos, ballooning, and various inventions, from lighting to cameras, and how Nadar used them in documentary photography. Nadar's parallel career as balloonist and aircraft enthusiast is smilar to Elon Musk's pursuit of Mars with Space X. Nearly 200,000 people turned out for some of the Géant's launches and passengers paid 1000 Fr to ride! Paul Nadar advanced the technology of photography by partnering with George Eastman (Kodak) and was instrumental in the promotion of instant photography with silver gelatin film, which eventually led to the Brownie camera and snapshot photography for the masses.

© 2020-24 Paul Takeuchi

Self-portrait, ca 1900-10
Self-portrait on a bench, ca 1855-1860.
Nadar, the patriarch, by Victor de Buisson, ca 1905
Nadar with Ernestine, photographed by friend Victor de Buissson, 1905
Nadar portrait photography business card, ca 1895.
Nadar with Ernestine and their entourage, at their estate in Sénart, south of Paris. Paul Nadar, ca 1900.
Nadar, by son Paul, around 1888-1890-Kodak flexible film negative
Paul, self portrait as actor, aroung 1880.
Cover of Paris Photographe, which Paul edited-May 25, 1891.
Paul Nadar in front of the Garnier Opera House--Likely taken by George Eastman, 1888-1890
Ludovic Napoléon Lepic as an explorer-in the studio, by Paul Nadar, 1884.
Instant shots from Pauls trip to Turkestan--Paul Nadar, 1890
Another shot from Pauls trip to Turkestan--Paul Nadar, 1890
Josephine Baker--Paul Nadar, around 1930
Sarah Bernhardt as Pierrot in Jean Richepins Pierrot the Murderer, by Paul, 1883.
Plates presenting available portraits of actors and actresses for sale--Paul Nadar, around 1891-1894
Sample album from the studio, with portraits of actors and actresses--Paul Nadar, around 1900-1914.
Nadar in the studio office on rue dAnjou, c1894.
Paul, posing like his father, in the studio office on rue dAnjou,
Paul Nadar portrait in Le Monde Illustre - the death of Nadar on March 20, 1910.
Nadars grave at Pere Lachaise cemetary
Self-portrait, ca 1900-10
Self-portrait on a bench, ca 1855-1860.
Nadar, the patriarch, by Victor de Buisson, ca 1905
Nadar with Ernestine, photographed by friend Victor de Buissson, 1905
Nadar portrait photography business card, ca 1895.
Nadar with Ernestine and their entourage, at their estate in Sénart, south of Paris. Paul Nadar, ca 1900.
Nadar, by son Paul, around 1888-1890-Kodak flexible film negative
Paul, self portrait as actor, aroung 1880.
Cover of Paris Photographe, which Paul edited-May 25, 1891.
Paul Nadar in front of the Garnier Opera House--Likely taken by George Eastman, 1888-1890
Ludovic Napoléon Lepic as an explorer-in the studio, by Paul Nadar, 1884.
Instant shots from Pauls trip to Turkestan--Paul Nadar, 1890
Another shot from Pauls trip to Turkestan--Paul Nadar, 1890
Josephine Baker--Paul Nadar, around 1930
Sarah Bernhardt as Pierrot in Jean Richepins Pierrot the Murderer, by Paul, 1883.
Plates presenting available portraits of actors and actresses for sale--Paul Nadar, around 1891-1894
Sample album from the studio, with portraits of actors and actresses--Paul Nadar, around 1900-1914.
Nadar in the studio office on rue dAnjou, c1894.
Paul, posing like his father, in the studio office on rue dAnjou,
Paul Nadar portrait in Le Monde Illustre - the death of Nadar on March 20, 1910.
Nadars grave at Pere Lachaise cemetary

GALLERY 4 4 of 4—Click photo for popup gallery

Nadar lived to 1910, almost 90 years. The last 20 years were spent mostly outside of Paris, with Paul running the studio and using the Nadar name. More and more the patriarch, Nadar had a long shadow, but Paul advanced his craft, codified the studio business, published and lectured widely on the art and technology of photography, and oversaw the vast archive of images. There was and likely never will be a family as important to photography as the Nadars.

Nadar lived to 1910, almost 90 years. The last 20 years were spent mostly outside of Paris, with Paul running the studio and using the Nadar name. More and more the patriarch, Nadar had a long shadow, but Paul advanced his craft, codified the studio business, published and lectured widely on the art and technology of photography, and oversaw the vast archive of images. There was—and likely never will be—a family as important to photography as the Nadars.