Ihei Kimura - Photo Collection - Pari (Paris) - 1974

Kimura Ihei (December 12, 1901 - May 31, 1974) is a photographer who played a very important role in the history of photography in Japan, and is known as a "Leica master." Active from the early Showa period to the postwar period, he was a pioneer of snapshot photography in Japan, and had a major influence on subsequent documentary photography. In 1930, Kimura mastered the Leica, which was not yet widely used in Japan at the time, and established his own photographic style by making full use of its mobility and precise depiction. He excelled in light snapshots taken by handheld shooting. His technique is so great that he is called the "Leica God" in the photography world.

His areas of expertise include snapshot photography, photojournalism, portrait photography, and urban landscapes.

His work is said to be on a par with the later Henri Cartier-Bresson in that it captures the "decisive moment."

In this collection of works, Kimura Ihei focuses not on the tourist destination of Paris, but on the everyday life of ordinary people.

These photographs capture the cobblestone streets, back alleys, markets, and the natural expressions and behavior of people from a unique perspective, giving a sense of the atmosphere of Paris at the time. At the time, Paris was a place of longing for many Japanese people as the "City of Art and Culture," but Kimura shows Paris as a "living city" rather than a glamorous one.

Kimura Ihei visited Paris in 1960 (Showa 35). He was 59 years old at the time and had already established himself as a photographer.
Kimura walked the streets of Paris with a Leica camera and monochrome film, recording the moments he experienced.
Even after returning to Japan, his "photography experience in Paris" was considered an important milestone in Kimura's career and influenced many photographers.
The texture of the cobblestones, the old buildings of Paris, and the softness of the winter light are depicted from Kimura's unique perspective.

This photo book, published in the latter years of Kimura Ihei's career, can be said to be the "culmination" of his career. The technique of "natural snapshots taken with a Leica" was brilliantly demonstrated in the foreign city of Paris, and had a major influence on later photographers.

It is a valuable work in the history of Japanese photography, and is said to have influenced the "urban snapshot" style of later photographers such as Moriyama Daido and Araki Nobuyoshi.

As it was published in 1974 (first edition), there are only a limited number of copies remaining, making it highly valued on the art market.


Hardback with full white linen, booklet, card slipcase. 190 x 262 mm. 318 pages. 153 colour photographs in double-page spreads, 1 single-page colour photograph. Photos: Ihei Kimura. Texts by Sasaki, Koji Taki and Shinji Obkuda. Text in Japanese.


[Condition]

The inside of the book is in very good condition.
There are stains on the outside. Please check the photos, but I think it is generally in good condition.


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