Guy Bourdin’s Early Unpublished Photos from the Streets of 1950s Paris

Guy Bourdin photography

© The Guy Bourdin Estate, 2017

Best known for his provocative fashion photography, Guy Bourdin was a pioneer in the industry, working with Vogue, among other publications, from the mid-1950s until his untimely death in 1991. His campaigns for shoe designer Charles Jourdan, which he shot for almost 15 years, became a sensation for their surreal imagery. Mixing touches of his mentor Man Ray, Magritte, and Balthus, his shocking, slightly sinister and surreal photography made him one of the most well-known fashion photographers of the 20th century.

And while most of the world knows him for these colorful images, there was another side of Bourdin's work, which, until now, remained largely unseen. Untouched, a new photography book published by Steidl, peels back the layers of Bourdin's early black and white photography. Captured while roaming the streets of Paris in the early 1950s, Bourdin's take on street photography is an incredible glimpse into the creative mind of a young artist on the brink of success.

For Bourdin, who discovered his love of photography while in the Air Force, his return to Paris after being stationed abroad was an opportunity to explore his newfound artistry. With over 200 black and white photographs published in Untouched, we see Bourdin testing his creative eye, playing with the shapes and surreal compositions that would later become his trademark. Whether accentuating the geometric form of a bathing costume or ironically positioning an elegantly dressed woman next to a butcher's window, it's clear to see Bourdin was pushing the envelope from the moment he picked up a camera.

Lovers of Bourdin's work will be pleased to know that Untouched is just the first of eight volumes that Steidl will be publishing about the iconic photographer's work. And with this first volume, viewers are brought along the early journey and development of the legendary late photographer.

Untouched is the first of eight volumes about Guy Bourdin's photography. This first book explores his largely unseen black and white photographs taken in 1950s Paris.

Guy Bourdin photography

© The Guy Bourdin Estate, 2017

Guy Bourdin Untouched

© The Guy Bourdin Estate, 2017

Guy Bourdin photography

© The Guy Bourdin Estate, 2017

Guy Bourdin photographer

© The Guy Bourdin Estate, 2017

Guy Bourdin Untouched

‘Untouched' cover

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Steidl.

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Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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