The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn: Colour Photographs from a Lost Age, 2008

by David Okuefuna

Fantastic example of an early 20th century project to capture all cultures on the globe with the latest technology: colour photography. The museum in Paris contains the original negatives and is worth a visit for the gardens alone.

In 1909 the millionaire French banker and philanthropist Albert Kahn embarked on an ambitious project to create a colour photographic record of, and for, the peoples of the world. As an idealist and an internationalist, Kahn believed that he could use the new Autochrome process, the world's first user-friendly, true-colour photographic system, to promote cross-cultural peace and understanding.