Edition 2018

Méjan association

ROBERT DELPIRE/ PHOTO POCHE

A SELF-GUIDED TOUR THROUGH HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Just after becoming the head of the National Photography Centre (Ministry of Culture and Communication) in 1982, Robert Delpire convinced Jack Lang to launch the Photo Poche collection. For a long time, he established its concept and defined the principles: “A self-guided tour through the history of photography,” he wrote, “Photo Poche aims to offer carefully printed, pocket-sized, affordable photography books to all who are passionate about this important means of expression. If we want to cover every area, photography offers an inexhaustible source of subject matter. Monographs and historic, thematic or technical subjects endlessly vary an iconography that nobody had ever thought of publishing in pocket format until now.”

The first volumes, which came out at the rate of eight a year, were on Nadar and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Photo Poche books became instant bestsellers, confirming Delpire’s brilliant hunch about offering general readers pocket-sized photography books allowing them to discover its history.

Special series published in English, Italian, Spanish and Japanese—Photo Notes, Photo Poche Histoire and Photo Poche Société—were added over time. In 35 years, Photo Poche has become a publishing phenomenon and an indispensable reference for photography and its history.

The Actes Sud bookshop hosts this modest homage to Delpire, the Photo Poche collection’s creator and director, who died last autumn.

The show features original works by Richard Kalvar and Eikoh Hosoe, photographers recently published in the collection.
  • Institutional partners

    • République Française
    • Région Provence Alpes Côté d'Azur
    • Département des Bouches du Rhône
    • Arles
    • Le Centre des monuments nationaux est heureux de soutenir les Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles en accueillant des expositions dans l’abbaye de Montmajour
  • Main partners

    • Fondation LUMA
    • BMW
    • SNCF
    • Kering
  • Media partners

    • Arte
    • Lci
    • Konbini
    • Le Point
    • Madame Figaro
    • France Culture