Marseille vue par les Detaille - 164 ans de photos

The Musée d’Histoire de Marseille is devoting a major exhibition to the Detaille dynasty of photographers: three generations who, from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day, have captured the evolution of the Phocaean city and its residents.

Heirs to Nadar, Fernand, Albert and Gérard Detaille created an exceptional body of work, bearing witness to life in Marseille, its heritage and its transformations. A unique journey through the visual history of Marseille.

In February 2021, the City of Marseille acquired a heritage treasure: the Detaille photographic collection. Comprising tens of thousands of images, it traces more than a century of the city's history, from the earliest photographic experiments to contemporary practices.

Through this unprecedented exhibition, the Musée d’Histoire de Marseille invites the public to discover Marseille in a new light, through the sensitive and discerning perspective of three generations of photographers.

► Three generations of photographers:

It all began in 1897, when the celebrated Nadar opened his final studio at 77, La Canebière. When he left in 1903, his first assistant, Fernand Detaille, a young photographer from Amiens, took over the studio. He quickly became a leading figure, combining portraits of prominent people, scenes of everyday life and daring reportage, and went on to become a pioneer of humanist photography and photojournalism.

His son Albert succeeded him in 1940, bringing a poetic and artistic dimension to photography. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts, he enhanced landscapes, faces and monuments, creating portraits of illustrious figures such as Joséphine Baker, Marcel Pagnol and General de Gaulle.

Finally, Gérard, the third generation, modernized the family business, developed panoramic and aerial photography, and worked to preserve and promote this exceptional heritage.

The exhibition "MARSEILLE vue par les DETAILLE - 164 ans de photos" takes visitors on a journey through the city and its history: the Vieux-Port, La Canebière, the markets, urban transformations, major events and the faces of Marseille. Rare and moving images reveal the vitality of a constantly changing city, between popular traditions and modernity.

This retrospective also highlights the central role of the studio on La Canebière, a true hub of photographic creativity and innovation, and reveals the Detailes' publishing ambitions. They authored thirty-seven art books that helped promote Marseille and Provence in France and internationally.

With this exhibition, the Musée d’Histoire de Marseille offers the public a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in a century and a half of visual history, at the crossroads of art, memory and family legacy.

This exhibition has been awarded the Bicentennial of Photography label by the Ministry of Culture.

► To ensure you can visit all of our exhibition rooms, please contact the Museum before your visit.

► To make culture accessible to everyone, the City of Marseille offers free admission to temporary exhibitions on their opening day and on the first Sunday of every month.

► All tours and activities related to the exhibition are available on the musees.marseille.fr website