Jacques Henri Lartigue

Published in 2004 by Princeton University Press as part of the Photo Poche series, this monograph serves as a focused introduction to the life and work of Jacques Henri Lartigue. The book was compiled to provide a concise, accessible overview of Lartigue’s vast photographic archive, which spans from his childhood experiments with a camera at the turn of the 20th century to his later work documenting the French elite and the ephemeral joys of Belle Époque society.

Kevin D. Moore, an established scholar of photographic history, curated this collection to highlight Lartigue’s unique perspective, which is often characterized by a sense of youthful wonder and spontaneous motion. The design adheres to the standard Photo Poche aesthetic, prioritizing high-quality black-and-white reproductions that emphasize Lartigue’s mastery of timing and composition. Upon its release, the volume was well-received by critics and photography enthusiasts for successfully distilling Lartigue’s complex legacy into an essential, portable format.