New additions to the Pasteur Museum's image collections

The museum recently acquired seven photographs by René-Jacques at a photography auction. These photographs taken at the Institut Pasteur were sold by his family.
 
René Giton (1908-2003), known as René-Jacques, was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
He moved to Paris at the age of 16. Although he studied law, he was a keen photographer and in the early 1930s he decided to devote his career to photography. He illustrated literary works but also accepted advertising or corporate assignments and worked as a film set photographer. In 1946, he co-founded the "Groupe des XV," a group of photographers who included Robert Doisneau (1912-1994) and Willy Ronys (1910-2009).
 
"René-Jacques treated humans and techniques, nature and civilization, with restraint, from a distance. Like Rodin, many of whose works he photographed, he believed that art was about science and patience."

 

To check out other photographs, click on the following link
 

The auction revealed that René-Jacques visited the Institut Pasteur in the 1950s – his name is mentioned on the back of the prints acquired.

But as some of the photos depict the "Panel on the BCG, Prague, in 1949" from the exhibition "Pasteur, his life and work, Palais de la découverte – Series X," we can presume that some are older.

The research procedures and instruments are wonderfully illustrated on the various prints.

 

 
Caption: (left) Photograph of a lyophilizer and (right) preparation of the BCG

Caption: Vials of BCG (growing cultures)

Suspension of BCG in a rotary ball mill 

 
If you are interested in the museum project, whether you know more about any of these photographs or you have technical or scientific objects that can provide clues to the past activities of the Institut Pasteur's laboratories, feel free to contact the museum team: musee@pasteur.fr