La photographie et ses applications aux sciences, aux arts et à l'industrie before 1888

Printed in 1888, La photographie et ses applications aux sciences, aux arts et à l'industrie, by Julien Lefèvre, speaks to the burgeoning fascination with photography during the late 19th century in France. Lefèvre, as a professor at l’Ecole de Médecine de Nantes and l’Ecole des Sciences, presents photography not merely as an artistic medium but as a tool intertwined with scientific and industrial progress. This approach reflects the positivist spirit of the era, where photography was seen as an objective means of documenting and understanding the world. This book invites us to consider the dual nature of photography: both as a scientific instrument capable of capturing precise data and as an artistic medium shaping our perceptions. As photography democratized image-making, it challenged traditional hierarchies of representation, impacting how knowledge was produced and disseminated across society. It's a fascinating glimpse into a time of profound technological and cultural shifts, with photography at its heart.