Du Camp

The wavy haired fellow above is one Maxime Du Camp, born this day 1822 in Paris, France. Besides have one of the coolest names I have ever heard, Du Camp has only one small claim to fame. However, it is enough of a claim to get him on the hero board for the day. He was born the son of a successful surgeon, and it was Daddy's money that allowed him to travel the Near East from 1849 to 1851 with another hero Gustave Flaubert. This trip, in which Du Camp, took about 220 lovely photographs with the calotype method. These photographs were later published in book form, and eventually earned Du Camp the Legion d'honneur from Napoleon III. That was the official reason for the trip, so that Du Camp could take his photos, and Flaubert could use his pen to expound upon the great works of antiquity. They managed to do that with some style, and even managed to visit a fair amount of brothels along the way. A lovely little book, written by Flaubert, does a very good job explaining the trip, and the adventures that he and Du Camp got into while they were exploring Egypt for the sake of "art". So, for being a boon companion of a man who was to go on and write much bigger, and better things (he did provide Flaubert with some ideas and criticisms as well), Maxime Du Camp (February 8th 1822-February 9th 1894, at the age of 72), you are my (165th) hero of the day.