11
he "parked" his balloon under guard overnight. Next morning, still
undaunted, he went up again, and, at 80 meters, made an exposure, the
12
first recorded successful attempt at aerial photography.
"They drew me down," Nadar related. "I leaped out and rushed
to the inn, where, all excited, I developed my plate."
Triumphant, Nadar emerged to show the results. Indisputably,
though faintly, the negative showed the hamlet's three houses, a farm
yard, the inp, even roof tiles, a gendarme, and a cart whose driver, in
surprise, had drawn up right in front of his balloon.
"I was right," he concluded. "Aerial photography i_s possible."
Immediate capitalization on this success, was, however, hindered
by Nadar's need for daily bread.
"When I was in the air," he explained, "my photographic business
suffered."
Confident that he could map all of France in a few months, he tried
to sell the French government on the idea of a gigantic land survey, which
he planned to make with his camera and balloon, "Le Geant". To his dis
may, he found that his proposal met with more laughter and ridicule than
acceptance (Figure 6).