The Cromer Collection of Nineteenth-Century French PhotographyA deep dive into the pioneering collection of nineteenth century French photographs, equipment, and ephemera, which is a cornerstone of the George Eastman Museum In the early twentieth century, Parisian photographer, amateur historian, and collector Gabriel Cromer (18731934) amassed a collection that traced photographys prehistory, invention, and development to about 1890. His dream was to found a national museum of the photographic arts in France.