As part of the bicentenary of photography (2026-2027), the bibliothèque Forney presents an exhibition of photographs by François Kollar, who captured working life in France between 1931 and 1934.
From September 3 to December 5, 2026, the bibliothèque Forney is organizing an exhibition in the jardin Monica Vitti (formerly the jardin de l'Hôtel de Sens), located next to the library. This outdoor exhibition features around twenty enlarged photographs by François Kollar (1904-1979), commissioned in 1931 by éditions Horizons de France and published in a book entitled La France travaille. The result is a documentary work of great value, undoubtedly unique in France, as well as a series of portraits of men and women presented with sensitivity and respect. More than 1,800 original prints and nearly 2,000 negatives, both published and unpublished, were donated to the bibliothèque Forney in 1975 by Pierre Lagrange, director of Horizons de France. The exhibition focuses on the creative process involved in artistic crafts, from a shared starting point—the drawing—to the finished work, produced either by hand or mechanically. The most classic example comes from the graphic arts, with engravers (working on wood or copper) and lithographers, whose work enables the original creation to be reproduced and shared. Three other fields of applied arts are also presented: ceramic decoration, textile creation using various techniques (weaving, printing, tapestry, and embroidery), and finally haute couture.
Source: paris.fr — photo: Ville de Paris/bibliothèque Forney