Sharing my favorite images from the early days of photography… Title: The Breaking Wave, Sète Date: 1857 Location: France Photographer: Gustave Le Gray (1820-1884) Process: albumen print from wet-collodion-on-glass negative Originally trained as a painter, (Jean-Baptiste) Gustave Le Gray moved on to daguerreotypes at the end of the 1840s. He documented French landmarks and monuments for Missions Héliographiques and helped found the Société Héliographique. Le Gray photographed major figures of the time, including Napoleon III and Edward VII. He also taught photography to Nadar, Charles Nègre, and many other future prominent photographers. His technical contributions (e.g. combination printing and a waxed-paper negative for sharper-focused prints) make Le Gray the most important French photographer of the 19th century. His images remain highly sought after. Source and information: Clark Art Institute