Jacques-Henri Lartigue: Through the Eyes of a Child

Papa at 80k/hr, Grand Prix de l'A.C.F., 26 June 1912

The first time I came across these snap shots I was struck by their innate sense of fun. They were taken by a young French photographer called Jacques-Henri Lartigue. They are wonderful images of a privileged lifestyle in an exciting time. This was at the beginning of the 20th Century; the age of speed. 

Zissou flies!

 

The first automobiles were appearing on the streets and people were beginning to experiment with flying machines and racing cars. The difference between Lartigue's work and that of his contemporaries is his lack of formality. He obviously wasn't concerned with the rules of photography simply because he never knew they existed! He preferred to experiment with the camera; capturing split seconds and funny acrobatics. After all, he was just a boy. 

 Cousin Bichonnade, Paris, 1905

Born in 1894, Lartigue was given his first camera at the age of 7 by his father, who was passionate about all the latest inventions and wealthy enough to possess them. From  a very young age Lartigue had developed his own individual style characterized by a lack of pretentiousness, with off beat compositions and above all spontaneity.

Avenue de Bois de Bolognne, Paris, 15 January 1911

You can almost imagine the childish giggles he let out when he would press the shutter. At this time many of the professional photographers were obsessed with keeping their subjects still like statues to avoid blur. His low viewpoint and naive impulsive creativity, gave a fresh perspective of life at the time.

 My Seaplane and me in my Bath, Paris, 1906

Lartigue continued to take photographs for the rest of his life, but I find this particular period his most touching. Maybe because we're seeing the beginning of the 20th century through the eyes of a child or perhaps because they capture an exciting era; holding it's breath with anticipation of what was yet to come. Unfortunately the First World War shattered these hopes and many of the seemingly fun inventions came to be used in conflict, not as a means of progress but as weapons of war. 

Cat