The book is sumptuous. Titled Gamma :une histoire de photographes. It is published today by the Editions de la Martiniere with an exhibition at the Palais de Chaillot until October 23rd.
In December 1966, four photographers, Hubert Henrotte, Raymond Depardon, Hugues Vassal, Léonard de Raemyand an agent, Jean Monteux, ready for a new adventure decided to launch a photographers’ agency where everyone worked on a 50-50 basis . The photographers, shareholders or colleagues shared half of the income from the sales of their reporting and half of the costs of production. Five months later, Gilles Caron joined the young staff.
Wednesday, December 28th 1966, Gamma processed its first films. The young agency experienced a dazzling ascendency. The Gamma photographers were everywhere the news was happening, sometimes at the risk of their lives. Seven of them never came back.
The book retraces the extraordinary adventure that allowed photojournalism to write the best pages of its own history. It shows the work of those who created, built and developed the agency. All of Gamma’s greatest images are here, as well as all the great photographers who contributed to the history of this symbol of photojournalism. The texts by Hubert Henrotte and Floris de Sonneville are remarkable. Today the agency is owned by François Lochon, one of its historic photographers, and it’s thanks to him that it survives today.
Jean-Jacques Naudet
Les 50 ans de l’agence Gamma
From 6thto 23rd October 2016
Palais de Chaillot
7 avenue Albert de Mun, 75116 Paris
http://www.gamma-rapho.com/fr
