Gisèle Freund's Early Photography Thesis Republished

The essay 'Photographie en France au 19e siècle' by Gisèle Freund, originally published in 1936 by Adrienne Monnier, has been reissued by Christian Bourgois with the support of Imec. This work, based on her doctoral thesis, examines the slow beginnings of photography in 19th-century France, focusing on the shift from craft to industry driven by portrait commerce. Freund, who studied sociology under Karl Mannheim, Norbert Elias, and Theodor Adorno, argues that art and society are interdependent, influenced by Marxist philosophy from the Frankfurt School. She analyzes writings and archives of photographers, inventors, and artists, showing how the rise of the bourgeoisie popularized photography. While Daguerre is a pioneer, the profession of photographer emerged with Nadar, and a chapter on early photographers describes the precariousness of the trade within Parisian bohemia. The reissue coincides with the exhibition 'Gisèle Freund, Itinéraires' at Galerie de France in Paris from September 26 to November 2, 1985. The essay foreshadowed her later book 'Photographie et Société' (1974).