A Collection…

A collection is somewhat like a flower arrangement, where flowers and foliage come together in a way that has something to do with chance but a lot to do with what we see, what we desire and what we most like. The photographic collector usually has no preconceived ideas: he is drawn to one picture, that picture leads to another, and little by little something that has a life of its own appears: a kind of self-portrait of the collector.

The collector sometimes focuses his search (the possibilities are endless), but he always looks for the picture that seems to have been taken specially for him. Gradually, a coherent whole emerges. To make beautiful flower arrangements and fine collections, you need love, talent and perseverance. Pleasure is also an essential ingredient.

The photographer usually makes several prints from the negative, which is like the finished work in embryo. These prints are never quite the same as they are necessarily made at different times. Sometimes, period prints (when they exist) are preferred, because the passage of time gives them an inner life and a moving patina. But negatives are the photographer's real treasure: he can go back to them and decide to give them new life. With a discernment born of long experience, he can make prints that are even more beautiful and more perfect than before.

The collector, of course, chooses the ones he considers to be the finest.

A publicly-owned collection involves a rather different approach, with a careful assessment of the aesthetic and historical significance of each piece. The importance of pleasure and emotion is, however, never underestimated.

I think there are two kinds of collectors: the 'patron of the arts' and the 'pirate'. Both can create fine collections, though they have quite different relationships with artists.

The act of choosing what seems important in the art of one's time is a way of selecting and preserving what will remain when we are gone. In photography, this privilege is not restricted to the wealthy: it is within everyone's reach. If someone likes a photograph enough to buy it, there is a chance that it might one day become part of our heritage.

The freshness and freedom of photography collecting today means that it is both a serious occupation and an immensely enjoyable one.

Agathe Gaillard

Galerie Agathe Gaillard
3, rue du pont Louis-Philippe 75004 Paris
Tél.: 33 (1) 42 77 38 24
Fax : 33 (1) 42 77 78 36
http://www.od-arts.com/base/rapidegb.html


A few tips for starting a collection of photographs

What makes a photo valuable?
A print will be more valuable if it was made by the photographer himself, or at least under his supervision, up to five years (opinions vary on this figure) after the picture was taken. Vintage prints are more valuable than prints made either later in the photographer's lifetime or after his death. Note, however, that a photo's vintage is not always mentioned on the print, so always ask the dealer to provide a receipt stating the printing date.

Are there other things that have to be taken into account ?
How well-known the artist is, the quality of the composition, the quality of the paper and the state of preservation of the print. It is also important that the photograph should be neither stained, scratched or folded, and that it should bear no trace of adhesive or fingerprints. The artist's signature on the back of the photograph can make it more valuable, as can the presence of the original frame if it was chosen by the artist.

Does a photograph have to be a one-off print to be considered valuable?
No. Very few photos are unique prints. A quality photo is a print made from the original negative. Until the 60s and 70s, up to fifty prints (not always signed) were made of photographs. Today, photographers tend to produce just ten or twenty-five numbered and signed prints.

How much money do I need to buy a photograph?
It depends on the period, on how famous the artist is and on the quality of the print. Photographs from 1910 - 1950 can be purchased for 1,000 francs at fairs or flea markets, though prices can reach up to a million francs.
Photos from the 60s to the present day can go for between 2,000 and 200,000 francs. For a good quality print from the 1920s to the 1940s (a Brassaï or a Bill Brandt, for example), you will need at least 20,000 francs.

Where can I buy photographs in Paris?
- Galerie 1900-2000 - 8, rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris
- Galerie du Jour - Agnès B - 44, rue Quincampoix 75004 Paris
- Galerie Baudoin Lebon - 38, rue Ste-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie 75004 Paris
- Galerie Isabelle Bongard - 91, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis 75010 Paris
- Galerie Boulakia - 20, rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris
- Galerie Gilbert Browstone - 26, rue Saint-Gilles 75003 Paris
- Galerie Farideh Cadot - 77, rue des Archives 75003 Paris
- Carré Noir - 2, impasse Lebouis 75014 Paris
- Galerie Camera Obscura - 12, rue Ernest-Cresson 75014 Paris
- Galerie Chomette - 24, rue Beaubourg 75003 Paris
- Galerie Chantal Crousel - 40, rue Quincampoix 75003 Paris
- Galerie Donguy - 57, rue de la Roquette 75011 Paris
- Galerie Dorfmann - 61, rue de la Verrerie 75004 Paris
- Galerie Durand-Dessert - 28, rue de Lappe 75011 Paris
- Espace Viviane Esders - 40, rue Pascal 75013 Paris
- Galerie Fait et Cause - 64, avenue Parmentier 75011 Paris
- Galerie Agathe Gaillard - 3, rue du pont Louis-Philippe 75004 Paris 
- Galerie Herschtritt - 18, rue Meslay 75003 Paris
- Galerie Laage-Salomon - 57, rue du Temple 75004 Paris
- Galerie Yvon Lambert - 108 rue Vieille du Temple 75003 Paris
- Galerie Maeght - 42, rue du Bac 75007 Paris
- Galerie Thierry Marlat - 2, rue de Jarente 75004 Paris
- Galerie Françoise Paviot - 57, rue Sainte-Anne 75002 Paris
- Galerie Anne de Villepoix - 11, rue des Tournelles 75004 Paris
- Galerie Agence Vu - 17, boulevard Henri IV 75004 Paris
- Galerie Esther Woerdehoff - 36, rue Falguière 75015 Paris