It was supposed to remain a secret. It was supposed to remain a small event for insiders, treasure hunters and dealers trading prints among themselves. Well, the secret’s out. At the 4th edition of Photovintage in 2012, held in the prestigious Galerie Vivienne under the auspices of the Académie des Beaux Arts, visitors included Peter Galassi (former director of photography at MoMA in New York) and Simon Baker (curator at the Tate Gallery, London) alongside the American collector Bill Hunt, the specialized dealers Charles Isaacs and Alex Novak, and many other gallery owners who had come early for Paris Photo. They were all on hand to discover the “vintage” photo prints being offered by forty international dealers, and several went home with a photo or two tucked underneath their arms and a smile on their faces.
There are no picture rails here, but tables draped in white cloth and covered in old photographs. Unlike museums and galleries, here one is allowed to handle the pictures and examine them before making a purchase. There are daguerreotypes and ambrotypes, platinum and silver and salted albumen prints—virtually every pre-digital photo process is on display. And with items available at anywhere from ten euros to ten thousand euros, there’s something for every budget.
“The photo market isn’t elitist. A vintage print is often more affordable than a digital one,” says Joseph Delarue, co-founder of Photovintage with Chourok Soummer.
And although the secret’s out, Photovintage remains, with Bièvres, the only French photo event dedicated to vintage photo prints.
Photovintage 2013 – 5th edition
On November 17th, 2013 8am – 5pm
Galerie Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
(5, rue de la Banque – Métro : Bourse / Palais Royal / Pyramides)
Free Entrance
More informations : [email protected] / Facebook : Photovintage V
