Marseille vue par les Detaille - 164 ans de photos

The Musée d'Histoire de Marseille is devoting a major exhibition to the Detaille dynasty of photographers, three generations who, from the early 20th century to the present day, have immortalized the evolution of the Phocaean city and its inhabitants. Heirs to Nadar, Fernand, Albert and Gérard Detaille have built up an exceptional body of work, bearing witness to Marseille's life, heritage and metamorphoses. A unique journey through the visual history of Marseille. In February 2021, the City of Marseille will acquire a treasure trove of heritage: the Detaille photographic collection. Comprising tens of thousands of images, it traces more than a century of the city's history, from the earliest photographic experiments to contemporary practices. Through this original exhibition, the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille invites the public to discover Marseille in a new light, through the sensitive and demanding eyes of three generations of photographers. ► Three generations of photographers: It all began in 1897, when the famous Nadar set up his last studio at 77, La Canebière. When he left in 1903, his first assistant Fernand Detaille, a young photographer originally from Amiens, took over the studio. Detaille quickly established himself as a key figure, combining portraits of celebrities, scenes of popular life and daring reportage to become a pioneer of humanist photography and photojournalism. His son Albert succeeded him in 1940, bringing a poetic and artistic dimension to photography. Trained at the Beaux-Arts, he sublimated landscapes, faces and monuments, creating portraits of illustrious personalities such as Josephine Baker, Marcel Pagnol and General de Gaulle. Finally, Gérard, the third generation, modernizes the family business, developing panoramic and aerial photography and working to safeguard and promote this exceptional heritage. The "MARSEILLE vue par les DETAILLE - 164 ans de photos" exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the city and its history: the Old Port, the Canebière, markets, urban transformations, major events and the faces of Marseille. Rare and moving images reveal the vitality of a city in constant mutation, between popular traditions and modernity. This retrospective also highlights the central role of the Atelier de la Canebière, a veritable hotbed of photographic creation and innovation, and reveals the Detaille family's publishing ambitions, as the authors of thirty-seven works of art have contributed to the reputation of Marseille and Provence in France and abroad. With this exhibition, the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille offers the public a unique opportunity to plunge into a century and a half of visual history, at the crossroads of art, memory and family transmission. ► To make sure you get the full tour of all our exhibition rooms, we invite you to contact the Museum before your visit ► All tours and activities around the exhibition are available on musees.marseille.fr

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