The upcoming Paris Photo 2025 will showcase the remarkable collection of Léon Herschtritt, a renowned French photographer and collector whose work captured the essence of humanist photography from the 1950s through the 1970s. Born in Paris in 1936, Herschtritt's journey from a young photography enthusiast to an internationally recognized artist and influential gallery owner exemplifies the evolution of photography as both an art form and collectible medium.

Herschtritt's early life was marked by the trauma of World War II, during which his family was briefly detained at the Drancy internment camp during the German Occupation. His father's assertion of British nationality ultimately saved the family. Following the liberation, young Herschtritt discovered photography by borrowing his father's camera, experimenting with portraits of friends along the banks of the Seine River.

A pivotal moment in Herschtritt's career came through family friend Emile Savitry, a humanist photographer who introduced him to the legendary poet Jacques Prévert. "At Savitry's house, there was sausage, bread, and red wine. Above all, there were people like Brassaï and the Prévert brothers. It was wonderful! I was 18 and meeting celebrities!" Herschtritt recalled. This connection led to regular Sunday gatherings where Prévert welcomed young artists, encouraging their creative pursuits and providing invaluable networking opportunities.

Determined to pursue photography professionally, Herschtritt enrolled at the French Institute of Photography while continuing to document Parisian life. He became an active member of the 3040 club, also known as the Paris Photography Club, founded in 1951 by Roger Doloy. "In France, and even in Paris in the 1950s, no museum or gallery was interested in photography," Herschtritt explained. The club met every Thursday at the Club Alpin on Rue de la Boétie, attracting luminaries from Henri Cartier-Bresson to Manuel Álvarez Bravo.

Herschtritt's breakthrough came during his military service in Algeria from 1958 to 1960, where he was assigned to the Ministry of Education to train Algerians in photography. With few students, he spent most of his time in the Casbah, documenting everyday life scenes of mothers and children, street vendors, and local activities. During this period, he also had privileged access to photograph General Charles de Gaulle's historic visit and famous speech of June 4, 1958. It was also in Algeria that Herschtritt met Nicole, who would become his lifelong partner and collaborator.

Returning to Paris with boxes of prints, Herschtritt approached various editorial offices and received enthusiastic responses. The monthly magazine Réalité published a six-page feature titled "Les Gosses d'Algérie" (The Kids of Algeria), while France-Observateur featured his work prominently. As Hervé Le Goff noted, "France-Observateur found in these images of children a welcome alternative to the grim news of attacks and ambushes and did not hesitate to feature young faces that represented hope for the future and peace on its cover."

The Algeria photographs caught the attention of Pierre Gassmann, founder of the Pictorial Service laboratory, who submitted them for the prestigious Prix Niépce in 1960. Herschtritt won the award at age 24, becoming the youngest recipient since the prize's establishment in 1955, a record that remains unbroken. This recognition led to positions as a photojournalist for France-Observateur, La Vie catholique illustrée, and Réalités, though he soon chose independence as Paris correspondent for London's Camera Press agency.

One of Herschtritt's most iconic works emerged from his December 1961 trip to Berlin during the Cold War's height. "What could possibly motivate a young press photographer to drive across Germany in the middle of winter, to drive a Dauphine car, to do a report that no newspaper or agency had commissioned?" Le Goff questioned. Herschtritt's curiosity about the newly erected Berlin Wall drove him to document the human drama of a divided city. "I went to see this wall out of curiosity. Apart from the Great Wall of China, it was the first wall that existed... I was very impressed," he recalled.

During his Berlin assignment, Herschtritt experienced a dramatic encounter with East German border guards when he and a colleague from Stern magazine inadvertently crossed into East Berlin while photographing. They were arrested but released hours later thanks to their press credentials. The incident created diplomatic tensions and was reported in Le Monde under the headline "Two photographers kidnapped." Despite the harsh conditions where "the cold was so intense that it froze the shutter of my Leica," Herschtritt captured powerful images, including an iconic photograph of a couple on a snow-covered car roof, waving to loved ones across the wall.

The 1960s and 1970s proved highly productive for Herschtritt. In 1963, he won a contract from the Ministry of Cooperation to create a comprehensive photo library of former French colonies in Africa. During a three-month journey through Chad, Congo, Gabon, the Central African Republic, and Cameroon, he traveled by helicopter and four-wheel drive, submitting thousands of images that were later exhibited at the Musée de l'Homme at Trocadéro and internationally. His diverse portfolio expanded to include portraits of cultural figures like Georges Simenon, Romain Gary, Jean-Paul Sartre, Catherine Deneuve, Salvador Dalí, and Rudolf Nureyev.

In 1966, Herschtritt received the Gens d'images prize for his book layout "Au hasard des femmes," and appeared on Albert Plecy and Maurice Tournier's television program "Chambre noire." His sensitive approach to documenting marginalized subjects was exemplified in "La célébration des putains" (The Celebration of Whores), which portrayed prostitutes with dignity and humanity rather than voyeurism.

By the mid-1970s, feeling he had completed his "first life" in photography, Herschtritt and Nicole embarked on a new venture, opening a bistro in Paris's Drouot antiques district. The establishment became a cultural hub where "herring and apples in oil and Beaujolais wine were served alongside art exhibitions and animated slide shows." The venue attracted photographers and artists including Jeanloup Sieff, André Villers, and Helmut Newton, while simultaneously nurturing the couple's growing interest in collecting.

Transitioning into art dealing, the Herschritts opened their first stall at the Vernaison Flea Market in Clignancourt in 1976, focusing on 19th-century historical photography including works by Alphonse Giroux, Edouard Baldus, Auguste Salzmann, and Maxime du Camp. Their 1996 publication "Jamais deux fois le même regard" (Never Twice the Same Look) documented his private collection. In 1998, with son Laurent, Léon opened a gallery in Saint-Germain-des-Prés dedicated to 20th-century humanist photographers, many of whom were personal friends.

The Nicole and Léon Herschtritt Gallery on Rue Jacques Callot remained active into the 2000s, conducting the first photojournalism auctions at Drouot. In 2006, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France invited Herschtritt to revisit his 1960s and 1970s archives for the exhibition "La Photographie humaniste 1945-1968," acquiring forty of his photographs. This renewed attention led to exhibitions, retrospectives, and publications in France, Germany, and the United States.

As photography critic Bernard Perrine observed, "Léon Herschtritt's work comes at a pivotal moment, both inheriting and stifling what is known as post-war French humanist photography." Perrine noted that Herschtritt added "that tender gaze that makes his photographs recognizable among thousands of others" to every subject he approached.

Léon Herschtritt passed away in Paris on November 21, 2020, at age 84, leaving behind a legacy that bridged the gap between photojournalism and fine art photography. The upcoming Millon auction on November 14 at 11 a.m. will offer collectors and photography enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire pieces from this remarkable collection, with exhibitions scheduled for November 12-13 at 3 rue Rossini, Paris.