Picture credit: Henri Cartier-Bresson, courtesy Christie’s New York
Cartier-Bresson gifted the images to Voja Mitrovic, a printer who worked at the Picto photo lab in Paris, in recognition of him being one of the best printers of his work.
Mitrovic, an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia, had become friends with the photographer within months of him starting work at the lab in 1967.
The prints are due to be sold at Christie’s in New York on 4 and 5 October.
The auction catalogue states: ‘Throughout the 30 years they worked together, Cartier-Bresson expressed his gratitude and paid the highest of compliments to his friend and partner by giving him signed and personally dedicated prints, usually allowing Voja to select the images himself.’
At Mitrovic’s retirement party in 1997, Cartier-Bresson knelt before the master printer, thanking him for decades of service.
Among the dozens of prints up for grabs is Cartier-Bresson’s famous 1932 image ‘Derrière la Gare Saint-Lazare’ (pictured above).
When Cartier-Bresson died in 2004, the photos were acquired by photographer Peter Turnley, who is now offering them for sale.
To view the images click HERE
