973973
NADAR
than pleased with the results of using artifi cial light
in his portrait sittings, Nadar understood that electric
light was absolutely necessary for underground pho-
tography; he represents the fi rst photographer ever to
attempt such a task. Using magnesium fl ares for light
in the catacombs, Nadar needed to expose the negatives
for upwards of 18 minutes. As a result, he decided to
use mannequins rather than living humans to simulate
workers (although at least one image exists in which
Nadar himself appears). These staged images with their
harsh lighting, nevertheless, represent a progressive
experiment to push the boundaries of the medium and
increase Nadar’s fame as well. His work in the sewers
a few years later was more problematic technically and
yielded approximately two dozen images. They failed
to capture the full extent of recent renovations, nor did
they depict the ancient sewers described by Hugo. His
power source entailed long wires attached to batteries
that remained above ground.
Retirement
In 1873 Nadar purchased a home in the countryside
outside of Paris where he and his wife Ernestine then
spent most of their time. Political upheavals that in-
cluded the fall of Napoléon III, the siege of Paris, and
the subsequent Commune (itself overturned by the
second siege of Paris) left Nadar physically, emotion-
ally, and fi nancially spent. He vacated his large studio
on the boulevard des Capucines and relocated to small
quarters in the rue d’Anjou. Interesting to note, how-
ever, is that Nadar allowed the Impressionist artists to
mount their fi rst exhibition in his old establishment on
the boulevard for which he still held the lease. His son
Paul now managed the business, although it was not
until 1895 that Nadar formally turned over all rights to
the name and all remaining partnership in the business.
In his retirement Nadar began yet another career as a
memoirist, which included the 1900 publication, Quand
j’étais un photographe [When I Was a Photographer].Nadar. Eugène Pelletan.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Purchase, The Howard Gilman
Foundation Gift and Rogers Fund,
1991 (1991.1198) Image © The
Metropolitan Museum of Art.