[Entrance to the Sacristy, Notre-Dame, Paris]

In 1844, Negre opened his own studio in Paris and began making portraits of famous people such as Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas. He also travelled extensively in France, Italy and Spain, photographing landscapes, architecture and street scenes. Negre was one of the first photographers to use the calotype process, which allowed multiple prints to be made from a single negative. He also experimented with other photographic processes, including wet plate collodion and albumen printing. In addition to his photographic work, Negre was also an accomplished painter and sculptor. He exhibited his work at the Paris Salon and won numerous awards for his photography. Charles Negre died on 16 January 1880 in Nice, France. His legacy continues to influence photography today, and his work can be found in collections around the world.