Studio Harcourt is a photography studio founded in 1933 by Cosette Harcourt at 11, rue Christophe-Colomb in Paris. In 1934, she joined forces with the Lacroix brothers, press bosses and Robert Ricci, son of Nina Ricci to found the Harcourt studio. It is known in particular for its black-and-white photographs of movie stars and celebrities, but having one's photo taken at Harcourt a few times during one's life was once considered standard by the French

upper middle class In sociology, the upper middle class is the social group constituted by higher status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term '' lower middle class'', which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle-class stra ...

. The studio is currently located at 6, rue de Lota in the 16th arrondisment of Paris.

History

Harcourt Studio Photography is the result of the association of the brothers Lacroix and Germaine Hirschfeld (1900–1976) aka Cosette Harcourt, a photographer who had worked in the studio of the brothers Manuel. Initially, the company produced images for the press, at a time when prestigious photo studios like

Nadar Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (; 5 April 1820 – 20 March 1910), known by the pseudonym Nadar () or Félix Nadar'','' was a French photographer, caricaturist, journalist, novelist, balloon (aircraft), balloonist, and proponent of History of avi ...

closed for lack of clients. The change in direction came when Cosette Harcourt started to specialize in black-and-white glamour photography of figures from French cinema and culture, always using 24 x 30 cm prints immediately recognizable for their distinctive style and lighting. This typical Harcourt style consists of a photo taken at close distance to the subject in its best light, generally creating a halo of light and dark, on a gray-to-black background. The attitude of the subject is personal, often wearing a slight smile, but somehow always seeming a little staged. Also, the Harcourt logo is featured prominently on every print. This Harcourt style was inspired by the work of French cinematographer Henri Alekan. Around the time of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Cosette Harcourt, who was Jewish, married one of the Lacroix brothers. Together they created a magazine, called ''Stars'', to serve as an outlet for studio photos. During the occupation of France by the Nazis, German officers and many members of the

Vichy regime Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...

visited the studios, just as the Americans did after the French Liberation. After the war, Harcourt regained its momentum with movie star photography, continuing the tradition that made it successful initially. In 2000, at the initiative of Jack Lang, the French state bought the photos of Studio Harcourt from between 1934 and 1991: about 5 million negatives of 550,000 persons and 1,500 celebrities. As of 2024, having an American portrait photo taken at Harcourt costs 995 Euros. However, a close-up traditional Harcourt portrait costs 1,995 Euros due to the extra makeup and lighting work needed to properly capture the subject's essence. An alternative is using one of the official photo booths that take a picture for 10 euros and process it to achieve the Harcourt look.

Gallery

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in 1998 Marion Cotillard Studio Harcourt 1999 (with signature).jpg,

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in 2005 CARRIERE Jean Claude-24x30-2006.jpg,

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in 2006 CLERC Julien-24x30-2008.jpg, Julien Clerc in 2008 BELLUCCI Monica-24x30-2008.jpg,

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in 2008 ARDITI Pierre-24x30-2009.jpg, Pierre Arditi in 2009 CHAZAL Claire-24x30-2009.jpg,

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in 2009 DUJARDIN Jean 02-24x30-2009.jpg,

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in 2009

References

External links

Official website
* (video about the studio by

Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...

) {{DEFAULTSORT:Harcourt French companies established in 1934 Photographic studios Monochrome photography Photography companies of France Companies based in Paris 16th arrondissement of Paris