Eugène Atget

While we are familiar with Eugène Atget’s photographic work on Paris, his biography remains partly mysterious, as he left few written records. The evidence comes from friends and clues, and from archives bequeathed to the BNF after his death (particularly press clippings and political journals). Initially an actor, he turned to photography around 1890, while remaining close to the artistic milieu.

In this book, Yannick Le Marec offers a fresh approach that tells us a little more about this photographer, including his strong political commitments to the anarchist circles of the time. The author focuses in particular on his photographic work around the Zone, the geographical area between the fortifications and the suburbs, a 300-meter-wide ring that surrounds Paris beyond the abandoned Thiers fortifications. It’s in this zone that ragpickers gather to live and sort their loot.