In 1912, banker Albert Kahn launched an ambitious project to capture “the surface of the planet occupied and shaped by humankind as it existed in the early twentieth century.” To realize this vision, he sent photographers and cinematographers across the world. Their work resulted in 72,000 autochromes, 4,000 stereoscopic views, and 180,000 meters of film. The entire collection is now preserved at the Musée Albert Kahn in Paris.