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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The former Nadar studio, located at 77 de la Canebière in Marseille, was the last studio created by Gaspard Félix Tournachon (1820–1910), dit Nadar, in 1897. At the age of 77, after a 40-year-old Parisian career and a disagreement with his son, Nadar settled in an 18th-century building belonging to the Marseilles Civil Hospices. He set up a large shooting room under glass on the top floor, with laboratories at the lower levels. The workshop became a meeting place for the Marselian artistic and literary elite, welcoming the Lumière brothers, Frédéric Mistral and visiting personalities.

After Nadar's departure in 1903, the workshop was taken over by the Detail family, which operated it over three generations until 1987. Despite the deterioration, the building retained its architectural integrity, resistant even to the fire of the New Galleries in 1938. Disused, it was sold by Public Assistance in 1996 and acquired by the city of Marseille before being transferred to a development company. Despite its listing at the Historic Monuments in 2012, the workshop collapsed in 2014 in suspicious circumstances, resulting in an investigation for voluntary destruction.

The Nadar workshop was a rare testimony of the history of photography in France. Its glass roof and laboratories, intact until they disappeared, illustrated 19th century techniques. The site also housed historical objects, such as signs by Antoine Lumière or decorations, partially saved by Gérard Detaille and exhibited at the Marseille Museum of History. Its destruction has marked the loss of a unique cultural heritage, despite the legal protections and alerts of the heritage authorities.

Post-collapse investigations revealed that the rubble had been quickly cleared, preventing immediate expertise. The Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) requested an investigation to clarify responsibilities, suggesting possible negligence or organized destruction. Despite two complaints filed in 2014 and 2015, the judicial proceedings sssened, as reported by La Marseillaise in 2016. The case highlighted the flaws in the preservation of the Marseille heritage.

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