Bidspirit auction | NADAR: (1820-1910) An appreciation of

NADAR: (1820-1910) An appreciation of the genius of Nadar from those who sat for him - from aeronauts and anarchists to royalty and revolutionaries - NADAR: (1820-1910) Gaspard-Felix Tournachon. French photographer, caricaturist and balloonist, the first person to take aerial photographs (1858). The personal Album Amicorum belonging to Nadar, and later presented to his son, containing over sixty signatures by a wide variety of famous individuals, some of whom sat for the photographer, many of the entries accompanied by sentiments of appreciation for Nadar, and some with original drawings, paintings, or musical and literary quotations. The large oblong folio album commences with an entry signed by Nadar , gifting the album to his son, Paul, ´En accord plus que parfait, a tous points de vues avec mon adoree Sainte, et en toute reconnaissance emue, je legue cet album a l´admirable enfant, qui de nous deux, nous donna toujours tout sans jamais rien recevoir, Nadar´ (Translation: ´In more than perfect agreement, from every point of view, with my beloved Saint, and with deep gratitude, I bequeath this album to the admirable child who, between the two of us, always gave us everything without ever receiving anything, Nadar´ ), further adding the words ´A la connaissance et reconnaissance de tous ceux qui nous ont approches´ (Translation: ´To the knowledge and gratitude of all those who have approached us´ ) beneath his signature. The album continues with entries by various luminaries including (in order of their appearance within the album) Anatole France (1844-1924) French poet and novelist, Nobel Prize winner for Literature, 1921, a warm appreciation, ´Nadar est le meilleur des hommes, le plus inventif et le plus courageux, le plus tendre, le plus fier, et le plus charmant. Si nous avions garde la puissance de creer des personnages mythiques. Nadar serait en France ce que Didale [Daedalus] fut chez les grecs antiques´ (Translation: ´Nadar is the best of men, the most inventive and courageous, the most tender, proud and charming. If only we had kept the power to create mythical characters. Nadar would be to France what Didale [Daedalus] was to the ancient Greeks´ ), dated at Paris, 14th December 1903; Elie Metchnikoff (1845-1916) Russian zoologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize winner for Physiology or Medicine in 1908, ´Hommage bien devouee a Monsieur Nadar a qui je souhaite une bonne et heureuse nouvelle annee´ (Translation: ´A well-deserved tribute to Monsieur Nadar, to whom I wish a happy new year´ ) dated 31st December 1909; Jules Arsene Arnaud Claretie (1840-1913) French journalist, drama critic and director of the Théâtre-Français, ´A Nadar la Bonte, Vieille affection devouee, On parle tant des ”professeurs d´energie” Nadar, mon ami de toujours, ne professa pas, il prouva et il agit-il agirait encore´ (Translation: ´To Nadar the Good, Old devoted affection, We talk so much about ”professors of energy” Nadar, my lifelong friend, did not profess, he proved and he acted - he would act again´ ); his son Georges Claretie (1875-1936) French lawyer and man of letters, ´A Monsieur Nadar, que j´ai aime depuis que mon pere m´a parle de sa bonte, de son courage, de son energie, c´est a dire depuis toujours, et que j´aime encore plus depuis que je le connais davantage ´ (Translation: ´To Monsieur Nadar, whom I have loved ever since my father told me about his kindness, courage and energy, in other words since I can remember, and whom I love even more now that I know him better´ ); Angelo Mariani (1838-1914) French chemist and entrepreneur, the inventor of Vin Mariani, the first coca wine, which has been described as the ancestor of Coca-Cola, ´Je pensais que les gens d´esprit manquaient de bonte depuis que je te connais Nadar je constate qu´on peut etre bon et avoir de l´esprit. Aussi je ne sauvais dire combien je t´aime et combien je t´admire mon vieux professeur de bonte ´ (Translation: ´I used to think that witty people lacked goodness. Since I've known you, Nadar, I've realised that you can be good and witty at the same time. So I can't say how much I love you and how much I admire you, my old teacher of goodness´ ); Paul Rolier (1844-1918) French engineer and aeronaut, pilot of the balloon La Ville d´Orleans which inadvertently made the first flight across the North Sea from France to Norway on 24th November 1870 during the Siege of Paris, ´Souvenir reconnaissant d´un aeronaute du Siege a son illustre collegue, le fondateur des Ballons de Paris....´ (Translation: ´A grateful souvenir from a Siege aeronaut to his illustrious colleague, the founder of the Ballons de Paris....´ ); and his fellow aeronaut Henri Bergeron , ´Deux mots d´admiration a mon maitre, Nadar! qui est pour moi l´eternel ideal que je ne saurai jamais attiendre´ (Translation: ´Two words of admiration for my master, Nadar! who is for me the eternal ideal that I will never be able to attain´ );