Eugene Atget – The Photographer Who Walked Fin de Siècle Paris – Design You Trust

Eugene Atget – The Photographer Who Walked Fin de Siècle Paris

Eugene Atget (1857-1927) wandered the streets of Paris dressed in a large black cloak and floppy hat, his camera slung on its tripod over his shoulder. He drifted until something triggered a response which he stopped to photograph.

h/t: flashbak

Photography had not been his first choice. He came to it through work as a sailor, an actor, and finally as an artist. He gave up painting when he realised his talents were pale in comparison to others. But the experience taught Atget of the artist’s need for subject matter which made him consider photography.

His intention was to supply artists with photographs of landscapes, buildings, street scenes, people, animals, and flowers. What he called “Documents for artists.” He thought this would be good business as it meant his photographs would help artists spend more time in the studio and less looking for subject matter.

Paris is the city of the flâneur. Its streets and boulevards invite perambulation. Its arrondissements are filled with hidden beauty that trigger involuntary memory. Atget was a flâneur, who wandered the city waiting for his “madeleine moment” to photograph.
















If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Oh, Design You Trust,' our brand new Facebook page! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

Wildlife Shines Bright in the 2021 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year
Mariner Valley on Mars - the Galaxy's Largest Valley
Snapshots of a Family Trip to Michigan’s Prehistoric Forest in 1979
The Best Photos From The B&W Child Photography 2015 Photo Contest
‘Ello John. Got A New Motor – Retro Porsche Posters
Curious Deer Photobombs Baby's Photoshoot and Turns It into a Magical Portrait
Wonderful Sunny Pics Document A Spring Break In United States In The 1980s
"Tyne Pride And Fall": Chris Killip’s Photographs Of Britain’s Vanished Industrial Heartlands
Breathtaking Color Photographs Of The American South Taken By William Eggleston In The Late 1960s And Early 1970s
Nevermind In Sovietland By Photographer Tomeu Coll
Istanbul Inception: Surreal Turkish Cityscapes By Aydın Büyüktaş
These Awkward Vintage Christmas Album Covers
Mustique Island: Kate Middleton's Caribbean Retreat
Mask Project by Lala Roe
Gorgeous Photos Of '60s Classic Beauties Taken By Jerry Schatzberg
Southeast Asia From Above: Stunning Drone Photography By Ali Olfat
Coolest, Weirdest And Fastest Racing And Concept Cars Built In The USSR
Photo of the Day: Dirt
Wellcome Image Awards 2017
This Artist Uses Image Editing To Sculpt Icebergs, And No Icebergs Were Harmed In The Making Of This Art
Vintage Photographs of Christine Keeler Posing in a Swimsuit on a Beach in Spain and France, 1963
Men Behaving Badly On Saucy Vintage Postcards
The ‘Oooo Face’: That Puckered Look Every Woman Was Making Mid-Century
When Eight-Year-Olds Worked The Streets: Lewis Hine's Beautiful Vintage Portraits Of Young Workers In America