Félix Nadar: A Pioneer of Photography Early Life and Beginnings Born: Gaspard-Félix Tournachon on April 5, 1820, in Paris (though some sources suggest Lyon). His father, Victor Tournachon, was a printer and bookseller. Initially studied medicine but abandoned it due to financial constraints after his father’s death. Nadar, as he became known, began his career as a caricaturist and novelist, contributing to various newspapers. From Caricature to Photography Began experimenting with photography around 1853. Opened his first photographic studio in 1854 at 113 rue St. Lazare, lat…