LA LETTRE: The First Issue!

Mallam Galadima Ahmadu with Jamis, Nigeria, 2007
Photograph © Pieter Hugo from La Lettre 26.10.2010

Tony With Shadow, Los Angeles, 1988
© Herb Ritts Foundation, Courtesy of Fahey Klein Gallery

La Lettre de la Photographie: The First Issue!

Founded by: JEAN JACQUES NAUDET, former editor-in-chief of the French monthly, PHOTO, and editor at large of AMERICAN PHOTO in the USA; MAGNUS NADDERMIER, art director and former creative director of GQ, Condé-Nast en France; and ALEX KUMMERMAN, president of Clicmobile and co-founder of Soundwalk, new media specialist and entrepreneur.

La Lettre De La Photographie will provide daily coverage of all major photographic events, and will have special daily themes as follows:

Monday: A behind the scenes look at fashion, advertising and the world of celebrities. Tuesday: Great historic archives will be revealed, featuring former stories from great magazines and exceptional photo agencies. Wednesday: One photographer, one story. A photographer tells us the story about a picture, a great success, or a catastrophic failure. Thursday: With 90 percent of all agency files and independent works unpublished, this daily report will feature an insider's look at some of the best current events stories that we won't find on the front pages. Friday: Our "Coup de Coeur" will feature an unknown, yet emerging talent we would like to help support and recognize, or a talent from the past we'd like to revive. The Week-end agenda: Saturday and Sunday will provide international coverage of shows, exhibitions, prints, books, fairs, auctions, blogs and websites.

A free subscription to La Lettre Here

GUSTAVE LE GRAY 1820-1884: Paris Auction Results

Sold: 300 000 Euros
Grande Vague. Cette n°17. (Sète), Spring 1857

Sold: 210 000 Euros
Ciel chargé. Mediterranean Sea No. 16, Spring 1857

Sold: 25 000 Euros
Pont du Carrousel, seen from the Pont Royal, Paris, circa 1859

ART 75 - YVES DI MARIA - PARIS
Results of Dec 18 Photography Auction

Jean-Baptiste Gustave Le Gray (August 30, 1820 – July 30, 1884) has been called "the most important French photographer of the nineteenth century because of his technical innovations in the still new medium of photography, his role as the teacher of other noted photographers, and the extraordinary imagination he brought to picture making." He made his first daguerreotypes in 1847. Opening a lavish studio in 1855, Le Gray became the official photographer of Napoleon III. His most famous work dates from 1856 to 1858, especially his seascapes. Complete bio Wikipedia

PAOLO VENTURA: Winter Stories

Photograph (c) Paolo Ventura /All Rights Reserved

Photograph (c) Paolo Ventura /All Rights Reserved

Photograph (c) Paolo Ventura /All Rights Reserved

Photograph (c) Paolo Ventura /All Rights Reserved

PAOLO VENTURA was born in Milan in 1968. After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera (Milan) in the early 90s, he embarked on a successful 10 year career as a fashion photographer, before deciding to radically change his life by moving to New York to devote himself to his personal creations.

"In Winter Stories, Ventura takes us into a world of winter light, poetic and nostalgic. An old circus performer remembers his life. His memories are not important events, rather featureless moments, buried and forgotten. Ventura carries us through an evocative world that is both naive, childish, and extremely serious, as if the memories of a man at the end of his life were replayed, directed by child, displaying his toys on the floor of his room."

Winter Stories
GALERIE CAMERA OBSCURA, Paris
Exhibition Dec 5, 2009 to Jan 30, 2010

Paolo Ventura WEBSITE

COLLECTION SEITA: "Gitanes, Une Adventure Artistique" Paris Auction Dec 7th

Herb Ritts, Gitanes, vers 1989-1990

Sophie Chevallier, Portrait d'homme aux lunettes, 1991

Franck Horvat, Gitanes, vers 1989-1990

Nan Goldin, Nina Putting On Her Makeup, 1991

Collection Seita
Gitanes, Une Aventure Artistique

300 PHOTOGRAPHIES CONTEMPORAINES: CATALOG
Dec 7, 2009 19H Paris Drouot Montaigne
15, avenue Montaigne – 75008 Paris

Post thanks to Jean-Jacques Naudet, legendary editor,
author and champion of important image-makers

BENNO GRAZIANI: La Dolce Vita

Fiat's Gianni Agnelli and guest Heidi von Salvisberg, Beaulieu 1967
Photograph (c) Benno Graziani /All Rights Reserved

Jackie et les Paparazzi's, Port d'Amalfi 1962
Photograph (c) Benno Graziani /All Rights Reserved

Benno Graziani photographing Jackie Kennedy and Marella Agnelli, Amalfi, Italy 1962 Photograph(c)Benno Graziani /All Rights Reserved

Jackie Kennedy Nageant, Ravello, Italy August 1962
Photograph (c) Benno Graziani /All Rights Reserved

Jacqueline Kennedy and sister Princess Lee Radziwill, Ravello, Italy 1962
Photograph (c) Benno Graziani /All Rights Reserved

'Match was our little club, there were no editors meetings because we hardly spent time apart from each other – and it worked! Some editions sold more than two million copies...The world's press envied us and tried in vain to imitate us

+ + +

BENNO GRAZIANI, photojournalist and former editor of Paris Match, exhibits his iconic black and white images of the legendary rich and famous on the French-Italian Riviera of the 1950's-1970's. Graziani was friends with some of the biggest celebrities of his era. He was the inspiration for Fellini's La Dolce Vita.

Having met as journalist's while Jacqueline Kennedy, then Jacqueline Bouvier, was working for the Washington Times Herald in the 1950's, Graziani had the privilege of documenting the Kennedy lifestyle as seen in his book Private Collection (Editions Verlhac). His work has been exhibited in The Metropolitan Museum, New York, 2000; Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, 2001 and Galerie Photo12, Paris, 2007 and 2009.

NYC exhibition by appointment only through Nov 14. public_realations(at)olegcassini(dot)com galerie–photo12

Post thanks to Jean-Jacques Naudet, legendary editor,
author and champion of important image-makers