Les coursives de la salle Ovale BnF Richelieu © Elie Ludwig
Anna Grumbach, winner of the Louis Roederer Foundation Photography Research Grant 2025
16/12/2025
Last night, at the opening of the exhibition Photographie à tout Prix at the BnF – François Mitterrand, Anna Grumbach was honoured for her research project ‘Trajectories of an overlooked generation: French “young photography” in the contemporary collections of the BnF (1967-1982)’ in front of an audience of prominent figures from the world of photography.
Anna Grumbach © Elise Saint Upéry
Her project
The work of Anna Grumbach, Phd in art history, uses prints, author files and internal archives from the photography department to shed light on how these photographers contributed to the reconfiguration of the French photography scene and the renewal of perspectives on this art form at a time when it was becoming institutionalised.
During the 1970s, a new generation of photographers emerged in France, born in the aftermath of the Second World War and imbued with the ideals of counterculture, having been brought to prominence by various exhibitions and publications emphasising their ‘youth’. Although Bernard Plossu and Arnaud Claass, who began their careers during this decade, are now renowned for their work, they were in fact part of a vibrant photographic scene, many of whose players are now unknown. Together, at the dawn of their careers, this generation found its place within heritage institutions.
The Bibliothèque nationale de France, which opened its doors to contemporary photography in 1968, became a real hub for this ‘young photography’, thus contributing to its temporary recognition.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HER RESEARCH?
Anna Grumbach has chosen to highlight these photographers, now forgotten, who have entered the BnF collection.
From the pioneering exhibition ‘Tendance de la jeune photographie en France’ (Trends in Young Photography in France) in 1967 to the creation of the École nationale de la Photographie (National School of Photography) in Arles in 1982, the emergence of a French photography scene recognised by public authorities is highlighted.
HISTORY OF THE RESEARCH GRANT
In 2006, the Louis Roederer House decided to strengthen its support for the Bibliothèque nationale de France by creating a research grant for photography. Today, this partnership continues through the Louis Roederer Foundation.
© Jean-Christophe Ballot