Every year sees another haul of useless books that served only to destroy trees. At the same time, there are books whose release we would love to celebrate, but which will never see the light of day.

That’s the case for the photographs of Léon Herschtritt. You have to be lucky to catch one of his exhibitions or come across his numerous publications containing his works of reportage. Many of his photographs have cult status, and it’s time for him to be rediscovered by recent generations.

Fortunately, digital printing now allows artists to publish their own work affordably That’s exactly what Herschtritt has done, with this square-format book collecting his major photographs. The text by Hervé Le Goff traces the photographer’s life and career, from his early work to his Prix Niépce—Herschtritt remains the youngest winner in the history of the prize— before going freelance and joining the English agency Camera Press.

Without following a strict chronology, the book gathers his in-depth reports filed from across the globe: Algeria, Italy, Israel, and the construction of the Berlin wall, an event commemorated by several exhibitions in France and Germany last year to marks its fiftieth anniversary. The book also includes his work in Africa, where he traveled through five countries, compiling a large photo library of the region’s gypsies.

Bernard Perrine

Read the full text of this article on the French version of Le Journal.

Book
Léon Herschtritt, Photographies
Texts by Hervé le Goff & Jean-Noël Gurgand
Edition of 300 exemplaires (num. & sign.)
Diffusion
Argentic@Argentic.fr
Librairie La Chambre Claire
libraire@la-chambre-claire.fr
Galerie Seine 51
contact@seine51.com