Jean-Baptiste Gustave Le Gray (1820 – 1884) has been called the most important French photographer of the nineteenth century because of his technical innovations, his instruction of other noted photographers, and the extraordinary imagination he brought to picture making.

He was an important contributor to the development of the wax paper negative. Gustave Le Gray was born in 1820 in Villiers-le-Bel, Val-d’Oise. He was originally trained as a painter, studying under François-Édouard Picot and Paul Delaroche. He lived in Italy between 1843-1846 and painted portraits and scenes of the countryside. Le Gray exhibited his paintings at the salon in 1848 and 1853. He then crossed over to photography in the early years of its development.

He was a successful portrait photographer, capturing figures such as Napoleon III and Edward VII. He also became famous for his seascapes, or marine. He spent 20 years in Cairo, Egypt, but there are few works from this period.

Charles Pecrus was born in the Centre of France (Limoges) but was quickly discovered and moved to Paris to study art.

Napoleon III even bought one of his paintings.

Jean-Baptiste Gustave Le Gray (1820 – 1884) has been called the most important French photographer of the nineteenth century because of his technical innovations, his instruction of other noted photographers, and the extraordinary imagination he brought to picture making.

He was an important contributor to the development of the wax paper negative. Gustave Le Gray was born in 1820 in Villiers-le-Bel, Val-d’Oise. He was originally trained as a painter, studying under François-Édouard Picot and Paul Delaroche. He lived in Italy between 1843-1846 and painted portraits and scenes of the countryside. Le Gray exhibited his paintings at the salon in 1848 and 1853. He then crossed over to photography in the early years of its development.

He was a successful portrait photographer, capturing figures such as Napoleon III and Edward VII. He also became famous for his seascapes, or marine. He spent 20 years in Cairo, Egypt, but there are few works from this period.

Jean-Baptiste Gustave Le Gray (1820 – 1884) has been called “the most important French photographer of the nineteenth century” because of his technical innovations, his instruction of other noted photographers, and “the extraordinary imagination he brought to picture making.”He was an important contributor to the development of the wax paper negative.

Gustave Le Gray was born in 1820 in Villiers-le-Bel, Val-d’Oise. He was originally trained as a painter, studying under François-Édouard Picot and Paul Delaroche. He lived in Italy between 1843-1846 and painted portraits and scenes of the countryside. Le Gray exhibited his paintings at the salon in 1848 and 1853. He then crossed over to photography in the early years of its development.

He was a successful portrait photographer, capturing figures such as Napoleon III and Edward VII. He also became famous for his seascapes, or marine. He spent 20 years in Cairo, Egypt, but there are few works from this period.

Here are his photos he made in the port city of Le Havre, Normandy.

Charles Pecrus was born in the Centre of France (Limoges) but was quickly discovered and moved to Paris to study art. Napoleon III even bought one of his paintings. He painted in Normandy, here are some of his works dealing with Le Havre.

The building of the cathedral of Nantes, named the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Nantes, started in the 15th century, and like most cathedrals, work lasted for hundreds of years. In this case, the cathedral was officially complete 457 years after it was started. However, this is the 3rd cathedral to be built on this spot. The cathedral […]

Although this castle can not be visited on the inside, you can walk in the gardens and look around the castle on the outside. The castle is located close to one of Dinard‘s beaches. The city had ordered the chateau to be built for the Royal couple, Napoleon III and his beautiful wife, Eugenie. They […]

Dinard in Brittany is a fantastic place to stay for a few days. The seaside promenade is an incredible walk, alongside a narrow winding pedestrian area, covering the beaches and rock formations. Dinard is located just a few kilometers from the more well known city of Saint Malo. They are divided by the “La Rance” […]

Biarritz, in the South of France along the Atlantic ocean, is a very special place to visit. It has been special for over a century and half, as you can see from the who-is-who of celebrities that have and still do visit. Biarritz is part of the Basque country, so much of its culture is […]

Cherbourg is world’s 2nd biggest artificial harbour, a major ferry harbour but a drab and boring city. For many travellers to and from the UK and Ireland it’s a must to pass through. But it does have a few parts that are worth a quick stopover.

The one thing that Amiens is famous for, worldwide even, is its enormous cathedral. It is called the “Basilique Cathédrale Notre-Dame d’Amiens” (Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens Cathedral), or for short, the Notre-Dame (but not to be confused with the Paris one). The cathedral forms part of one of the French legs of the Santiago […]