French Archives

“I just know somehow or other, Europe had a tremendous influence on me.” With these words, Harry Callahan evoked his sabbatical year in France—where he lived in Aix-en-Provence with his wife Eleanor and his daughter Barbara, from September 1957 to July 1958—as one of the most important periods of his life. While running the photography department at the Institute of Design in Chicago, he received a Graham Foundation grant, allowing him to take a one-year leave and focus entirely on his work. He decided to travel to Europe for the first time. Leaving a large American city for a provincial French town, he pursued his photography with dedication and rigor, constantly reexamining and delving deeper into his favorite themes. This ensemble of 130 prints, most of which have never been published, were brought together by Callahan under the title French Archives and donated to the Maison européenne de la photographie in Paris. They represent a major milestone in his work.