After Nadar: The Popularization of the Paris Catacombs in Print

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ABSTRACT On 18 April 1866, L'Univers illustré featured an elaborate illustration of the Paris Catacombs after a photograph by Félix Nadar. Similar illustrations claiming to have been made after Nadar's catacombs series appeared in print throughout the second half of the nineteenth century, each with varying degrees of visual proximity to supposed originals. This article explores how the illustrated press, using Nadar's reputation to emphasize the faithfulness of their images, contributed to the popularization of the Paris Catacombs. In doing so, the public was given unprecedented access to a site that had previously been experienced only by a privileged few.