Maxime Du Camp

Born in Paris on February 8, 1822, Du Camp was the son of a surgeon. After finishing college, he indulged in his strong desire for travel, thanks to his family's assets. Du Camp traveled in Europe and the Middle East between 1844 and 1845, and again between 1849 and 1851 in the company with Gustave Flaubert. After their return, both Flaubert and Du Camp wrote about their traveling experiences together.

Du Camp was an early amateur photographer, who was taught the wax paper negative process by Gustave Le Gray shortly prior to departing on his 1849-51 trip to Egypt. His travel book was among the first to be illustrated with photographs, and were published by Gide et J. Baudry in 1852 with prints made by Blanquart-Evrard. These are the prints usually available for Du Camp's work, but a handful of very rare prints made by Du Camp himself or an assistant came on the market a few years ago.

In 1851, Du Camp became a founder of the Revue de Paris, which was later suppressed in 1858, and a frequent contributor to the Revue des Deux Mondes. In 1853, he became an officer of the Legion of Honour.

Serving as a volunteer with Garibaldi in 1860, Du Camp recounted his experiences in Expédition des deux Siciles in 1861. In 1870 he was nominated for the Senate, but his election was frustrated by the Empire's collapse. But he was elected a member of the Académie Française in 1880, mainly, it was said, because of his history of the Commune (Les Convulsions de Paris, 1878–1880).

Maxime Du Camp died on February 9, 1894 and was buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris.

Submitted by Contemporary Works/Vintage Works