The Nadars, a photographic legend

The Nadars

fr

Self-portrait in a straw hat

Adrien Tournachon, 1853-1855

Salt-paper print with a protective coating, from a collodion glass negative, 22.3 × 17 cm.
BnF, Prints and Photographs Department, EO-99 (1)-PET FOL
© Bibliothèque nationale de France
These two self-portraits by Adrien Tournachon in a straw hat - seen together here exceptionally - date back to his first steps in photography. They are marvels of laid-back skill. Shot outside and in close-up, they turn their back on the stereotypicallly stiff studio portraiture of their time. Having studied with Gustave Le Gray, Adrien Tournachon is clearly declaring that photography's future belongs within the purview of art and artists.