From the 1950’s to the 1970’s, Hélène Roger-Viollet travelled the world with her Rolleiflex camera, visiting America, Asia and Africa... Eldest daughter of the French engineer and amateur photographer, Henri Roger-Viollet, Hélène grew up among her father’s photographic experiences. In 1938, after studying journalism, she founded the Roger-Viollet photo agency with her husband Jean Fischer.
Her trips were a mean to complete, document and broaden her archives. Rather than looking for the sensational, Hélène Roger-Viollet testified, through her square-shaped photographs, about the daily life and customs of people living in foreign countries, like an ethnologist, at a time when it was not easy to travel. The photographer said in a documentary film made in 1981, “we haven’t reported but created documents to broaden our collections with the missing documents”.
Taking photographs during 30 years, Hélène Roger-Viollet has been creating a collection combining both informative testimony and her personal aesthetics.
In 1985, she died tragically at the age of 84, assassinated by her husband with whom she had shared her life for 50 years. Her collection of photographs was then bequeathed to the City of Paris and is now housed at the Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris.
Hélène’s trips is the first exhibition entirely dedicated to Hélène Roger-Viollet’s work.
Watch the interview with Hélène Roger-Viollet and Jean Fisher in 1981
Prices of the exposed prints :
Print only 30 x 30 cm : 230 € - Framed print 260 €
Print only 40 x 40 cm : 320 € - Framed print 360 €
Print only 50 x 50 cm : 420 € - Framed print 470 €
Framing: light wenge wood veneer frame, 7,8mm rod.
For your orders call us at +33 1 55 42 89 09 or write to galerie@roger-viollet.fr.
Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985), French photographer, at the top of the Temple of Bel, photographed by her guide. Palmyra (Syria), November 1953.
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The Broadway Theatre District, towards the 50th Street. New York (United States), December 1955. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Sign of the Western Skies Hotel, near Albuquerque (New-Mexico, United States), April 1964. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Names and prints of famous movie stars in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theater. Hollywood (Los Angeles, California, United States), March 1964. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Customer of a drive-through. Los Angeles (California, United States), 1964. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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View of the East River and the Queensboro Bridge from a window of the headquarters of the United Nations. New York (United States), May 1964. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Stern of the "SS France" liner, March 1972. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Children looking into a shop protected from the sun by some wrapping paper. Malaga (Spain), January 1957. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Children playing soccer in front of the Santa Maria of Alhambra church. Granada (Spain), January 1957. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Ice-cream vendor. Paludo (Salamis Island, Greece), May 1952. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Schoolboys standing on a path bordered with euphorbias. Mexico, March 1956. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Photographer working in front the entrance of the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, near Mexico City (Mexico), December 1955. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Group of musicians in front of a bar. Veracruz (Mexico), February 1956. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Soldiers of Fidel Castro's inner circle, on the Cuban Independence Day. Havana (Cuba), on February 24, 1959. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Buddha made of golden wood at Sanjusangen-do temple. Kyoto (Japan), March 1962. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Rice bales and sake barrels labeled with the names of their donors, in front of the Chion-in Temple. Kyoto (Japan), March 1962. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Women making kimonos : the drying process. Kyoto (Japan), March 1962. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Female bus ticket inspectors and travellers near Kawaguchi (Japan), March 1962. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Window of a massage salon. Tokyo (Japan), March 1962. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Newspaper seller. Taipei (Taiwan). 1962. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Osaka (Japan). A street in the entertainment district, near the central train station. by night. March 1962.
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Docker on the port of Madras (Tamil Nâdu, India). 1961. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Rickshaws. Pondicherry (India), 1961. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Quays near the harbour of Pondicherry (India), 1961. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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The Howrah, bridge on the Hooghly River. Calcutta (Bengal, India). 1961. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Pilgrim. Benares (Uttar Pradesh, India). 1961. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Bear tamer near Agrâ (Uttar Pradesh, India). 1961. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Woman from the Atayal tribe with a traditional musical instrument. Taiwan, 1962. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Woman selling durians. Saigon (Vietnam), January 1964. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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The Patuxai (Victory Gate or Gate of Triumph, built from 1957 to 1969), war monument for the Laotian soldiers who died during World War II and for the independence of the country towards France. Vientiane (Laos), December 1963. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Detail of an Apsara (western entrance lodge, northern tower, western facade, south panel), 12th century. Angkor Vat (Cambodia), January 1962. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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The Saint-Kitts airfield (former Saint Christopher Island). British West Indies, February 1959. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Market at the port. Port-au-Prince (Haïti), February 1959.
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Fisherman mending his nets. Fond Lahaye (Martinique, France), February 1959. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Haitian dancers. Haiti, March 1959. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Sugarcane harvest near Ducos (Martinique, France), February 1959. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Old woman making palm leaf hats. Island of Saint-Barthélemy (French West Indies), 1959. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Old woman. Island of Saint-Barthelemy (French West Indies). 1959. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Native mother and children in their hut. Inini territory (French Guiana), March 1969. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Airview of the virgin forest between Bonaké and Abidjan. Ivory Coast (Black Africa), 1963. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Balcony of the Khalifa. Omdurman (Sudan), January 1966. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Place de l'Indépendance. Dakar (Senegal), 1963. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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The Maboukor tribe. South Africa, 1966. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Street scene. Johannesburg (South Africa), 1966. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Family portrait. Lambaréné (Gabon), March 1966. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985) and Jean Fischer (1904-1985).
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Children. Ngor (Senegal), 1963. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Boy playing the tom tom. Bouaké (Ivory Coast), February 1963. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Island of Zanzibar (Tanzania). Door sculptured of Moresque style placed in the old town. February, 1974.
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Barber and hairdresser. Bobo-Dioulasso (French Upper Volta, present Burkina Faso), February 1963. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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Coca-Cola advertising poster. Johannesburg (South Africa), 1966. Photograph by Hélène Roger-Viollet (1901-1985).
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