Albert Kahn

While watching TV here in my hostel (Sweden) I discovered a fascinating man with the most amazing collection of photographs and videos from around the world. Albert Kahn was one of the wealthiest men in France during the turn of the 20th century and he was passionate about capturing everyday life around the world which he felt was on the brink of being lost or changed forever. He sent photographers and film makers using the latest in photographic technology to capture images of these diverse cultures. Personally I love photographs, especially old ones. I love to look into the faces of people gone by and imagine their lives. How amazing it is that they existed, yet don't any longer, in a time so different from this one. Yet they were people like us, so it can't be that different. We have grandparents or great parent from this time. Without them we wouldn't be who we are.

This collection is enormous and an absolute treasure trove. I found a website with some of Albert's photos and a little of his life. He was a self-made man and a visionary.