174 pages, 24x27cm, soft cover; in French

ISBN 978-2-7089-8196-6 Éditions Privat

 Arthur Batut

Regards d'un humaniste photographe (1846-1918)

under the direction of Serge Negre and Sylvie Desachy,

published in May 2008

 

 A beautiful book of B&W photographs of the inventor of kite aerial photography, but intended to make us discover the so attaching personality of a humanist. The people on the photographs have all a look friendly and trustful. Batut is sharing these slices of life for which he obviously has a great respect and a sincere liking. We are far from voyeurism and flashy rubbish, however these photographs are far from being ordinary. they transcend the persons and disclose their noble personality.

This book is well frames and the text which come with and comment these pictures is well built. Thus it is with this harmony towards Arthur Batut that we learn a lot on his life and his acquaintances.

Half a dozen pages remind us his aerial photography work, but it is only one of the facets of Batut photograph. A picture on hay-making page 50 with a tree hedge as background is not without evoking with emotion to the kaper who I am the first aerial photography with a kite.