History in Technicolour

Why It Matters

The display brings Lartigue’s largely unseen colour oeuvre to a wider public, underscoring his influence on modern street photography and enriching cultural appreciation of the Belle Époque era.

Key Takeaways

• MK Gallery presents over 150 Lartigue works, many in color.
• Color images comprise one‑third of Lartigue’s 120,000‑photo archive.
• Lartigue pioneered spontaneous street photography and motion capture.
• Exhibition runs 20 June–4 Oct, boosting UK interest in Belle Époque art.

Pulse Analysis

Jacques‑Henri Lartigue (1894‑1986) remains a defining figure of the French Belle Époque, a period marked by rapid industrialisation and artistic experimentation. Raised in an affluent family linked to early aviation and monorail inventions, he received his first camera at age six and quickly developed a fascination with capturing movement. By the 1910s he was documenting motor races, bobsleds and high‑society fêtes, employing a spontaneous, snapshot aesthetic that pre‑figured later street‑photography movements. His work earned the attention of New York’s Museum of Modern Art in the early 1960s, cementing his international reputation.

While Lartigue is best known for his black‑and‑white images, roughly one‑third of his 120,000‑photo archive consists of early colour experiments that have long been hidden from view. The technical demands of colour film in the 1910s—long exposures and bulky equipment—limited its use, causing many of these plates to remain stored in archives. Their recent digitisation reveals vivid palettes that enhance our understanding of the era’s visual culture, offering fresh insight into how colour shaped perceptions of speed, fashion and modernity in pre‑war France.

The “Life in Colour” exhibition at MK Gallery, running 20 June–4 October, assembles over 150 of these newly surfaced works alongside drawings and stereoscopic prints. By presenting Lartigue’s colour oeuvre to a UK audience, the show not only revives a neglected chapter of photographic history but also aligns with a broader market trend of re‑examining early 20th‑century art through contemporary lenses. Collectors, curators and photography enthusiasts are likely to reassess the value of Lartigue’s colour pieces, potentially driving renewed interest and investment in Belle Époque visual heritage.