Gaspard-Felix Tournachon was a 19th-century photographic pioneer and innovator, whose best-known works include portraits of the notable celebrities of the day.

His younger brother, Emil, wasn't quite so talented. Or famous.

For some unknown reason, Emil chose to specialize in portraits of the most difficult people to photograph - people who just weren't destined to being immortalized. They flocked to him, desperate for decent portraits, but something always went horribly wrong.

But Luna's portrait was one of Tournachon's rare triumphs.

Little is known of Luna, although she was mentioned in newspapers and journals, and was briefly famous. Her family travelled from Ireland to visit Tournachon, in the hope that he could capture what no previous photographer had captured - Luna's image. Luna's sad and unexplained affliction was that, each month, slowly but surely, a shadow would pass across her face. At times, it was impossible to see her face at all, and it was rarely visible during the day. Tournachon's diary tells how he darkened his studio, and used a very long exposure to reveal Luna's beauty. He was worried that she would not be able to keep still, but he found that Luna could sit in silence, hour after hour - motionless and never blinking.

________________________________

Stock from ~kokainxstock