Louis Boutan | |
|---|---|
 Emil Racoviță photographed by Louis Boutan | |
| Born | (1859-03-06)6 March 1859 Versailles, France |
| Died | 6 April 1934(1934-04-06) (aged 75) Tigzirt, Algeria |
| Occupations | biologist, photographer |
Louis Marie-Auguste Boutan (6 March 1859 – 6 April 1934) was a French biologist and photographer. He was a pioneer in the field of underwater photography.
The son ofAugustin Boutan [fr], he was born inVersailles and studied biology and natural history at theUniversity of Paris. In 1880, he was named deputy head assigned to organize the French exhibit at theMelbourne International Exhibition (1880). He stayed in Australia for 18 months, travelling the continent and identifying new animal species. In 1886, Boutan was namedmaître de conférences at theUniversity of Lille. In the same year, he learned how to dive. In 1893, he was named professor at theLaboratoire Arago. During that year, with his brotherAuguste [fr], he developed equipment for underwater photography. In an article inThe Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, he described his apparatus; the article included an illustration of one of his cameras and several underwater images. Boutan developed aflash bulb that could be used underwater. He later used carbonarc lights for illumination.[1][2]
In 1898, he published the first book on underwater photographyLa Photographie sous-marine et les progrès de la photographie. Slides of his underwater photographs were shown at the 1900Exposition Universelle inParis.[1]
In 1904, he was sent toHanoi to investigate improvements to rice and the culture ofpearl oysters. He returned to France in 1908. In 1910, he was named professor of zoology and animal physiology at theUniversity of Bordeaux. In 1914 and 1916, Boutan and his brother worked on a diving suit for the French army. After the war, he began research into the artificial production of pearls, one of the first people to investigate this subject. In 1921, he was named director of the Station Biologique d'Arcachon. In 1924, he was named to the chair of general zoology of the faculty of science at theUniversity of Algiers; he was also named director of the Station d’Aquaculture et de Pêches deCastiglione and inspector for theAlgerian fisheries.[2]
In 1929, he retired toTigzirt in Algeria. He died there at the age of 75.[2]
Boutan was named to theInternational Scuba Diving Hall of Fame as an early pioneer in 2010.[3]
The fishBoutan's whitingSillago boutaniPellegrin, 1905 is named after him.[4]
