Robert Delpire, who passed away September 26th 2017, will continue to be known as one of the major figures in the history of photography. With more than five hundred titles, he gave to the photobook the position in publishing that it enjoys today. He was friend and publisher of Lartigue, Brassaï, Cartier-Bresson, Capa, Bischof… We owe him Robert Frank’s The Americans. Many contemporary photographers from many countries owe him their place on library shelves and he was one of the first to recognize his interest in anonymous photography.
The rigor and quality of editing, the importance attached to the text, made each of the books he published sought-after and valuable works. But he also created collections to which reference is made, of which Photo Poche is certainly one, and for thirty-five years it has been a global best-seller. Thanks to it several generations of amateurs have been initiated in photography. With more than two hundred exhibitions – in France and the rest of the world – Robert Delpire was one of the principal players in the entrance of photography into galleries, museums and public spaces.
What is less known, or which underlay much of his work, is that Robert Delpire supported many causes and the photographers who dedicated themselves to social problems. Whether it was outcasts, refugees, victims or the sick… He helped every humanitarian organisation that came to him for help: Amnesty, Reporters Without Borders, the Little Brothers of the Poor in particular. With his talent and his means, his effectiveness and his sensitivity. Today, an exhibition at the Fait & Cause Gallery in Paris pays homage to Robert Delpire by exploring this facet of the man.
Robert Delpire & l’humanitaire
From 30th November 2017 to 13th January 2018
Galerie Fait & Cause
58 rue Quincampoix
75004 Paris
France
