The Daring Aerial Exploits of Félix Nadar, Pioneering Photographer and Balloonist

On a recent trip to Vietnam, I had some rolls of 35mm colour film developed at a hole-in-the-wall film processing store called the Nadar Photo Club in Hanoi. The service was speedy and great, and the prices unbelievably affordable, but that's another story. Today's story has to do with the name of the place. Who was Nadar?

As it turned out, Félix Nadar was a famous Parisian photographer, and, coincidentally, we actually once had an antique print showing a hot air balloon he had made! The balloon was an impressive sight. Called Le Géant (The Giant), it was touted as the biggest balloon in the world and stood almost 200 feet high and contained  200,000 cubic feet of hydrogen encased in almost 12 miles of silk (purportedly taking 200 women one month to sew). The gondola was pretty much as small cottage, with Nadar claiming it could transport 45 people. It contained a photographic laboratory, a refreshment room, and a billiard table! The laboratory indicated some of Nadar's many other interests: photography and aerial photography.

This remarkable  Renaissance man had boundless curiosity and an adventurous spirit, which led him to make pioneering contributions in both fields. 

Félix Nadar was born Gaspard-Félix Tournachon in 1820 in Paris, France. From a young age, he displayed a keen interest in the arts, honing his skills as a caricaturist and journalist. It was during this time that he adopted the pseudonym "Nadar," which would become synonymous with his pioneering work in photography and ballooning.

Nadar's journey began in the world of journalism, where he honed his skills as a caricaturist. However, it was his transition to photography that would truly cement his legacy. Nadar's innovative approach to portraiture, which emphasized the individuality and personality of his subjects, set him apart from his contemporaries. His underground photographs of the Paris catacombs further demonstrated his willingness to push the boundaries of the medium.

But Nadar's interests extended far beyond the realm of photography. He was also deeply fascinated by the emerging field of aeronautics, and his passion for ballooning would ultimately lead to some of his most remarkable achievements. Nadar's first hot air balloon flight in 1863 marked the beginning of a lifelong love affair with the skies, and he would go on to undertake numerous daring ascents, including a record-breaking journey that took him across the English Channel.

It was the combination of Nadar's two great passions, however, that would truly cement his place in history. In 1858, he took to the skies with a camera in hand, capturing the world from a bird's-eye view. This pioneering feat resulted in the world's first aerial photograph, a remarkable achievement that would pave the way for the development of aerial photography and the field of aeronautics.