SONTHONNAX (Paul). — Photography, That Unknown… - Lot 279

SONTHONNAX (Paul). — Photography, That Unknown… Paris, Photos et Documents, S.A.R.L., “Connaître” series edited by Charles Vandamme, 1953. In-4, paperback, illustrated color cover. First edition of this work, which has become a seminal text in postwar French photographic theory. The French Society of Photography holds a copy in its collections under the reference frSFP_06322_bib and confirms the publication date of 1953. In it, Paul Sonthonnax considers photography not only from a technical or aesthetic perspective, but as a new means of knowledge and a visual language. The book opens specifically with this question of photographic language and explores the transformations in perception brought about by photography, color, and new means of reproduction. These ideas have been the subject of recent studies devoted to the history of French photographic culture. The book features a very rich collection of photographs, including works by Pierre Jahan, René-Jacques, Emmanuel Sougez, Daniel Masclet, Cecil Beaton, Otto Steinert, Werner Bischof, Lucien Hervé, Robert Doisneau, Bert Hardy, Jean Dieuzaide, Edward and Brett Weston, Lucien Lorelle, and several other important photographers of the era. The book thus offers value far beyond that of a simple textbook: it provides an overview of modern photography in the early 1950s, at a time when humanist photography, photojournalism, and experimental work were gaining prominence. Your copy features the remarkable photographic and graphic cover design, which is particularly characteristic of the aesthetics of the 1950s. Condition: complete copy in used condition. Cover is scuffed, with wear and small tears along the edges and corners, creases, and superficial cracks; interior appears clean. The condition of the cover should be noted, as it significantly affects the price.