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Jean-Pierre Laffont (born 1935) is a French-American photojournalist born in Algeria, and based in New York City, USA. He was the founding member of both Gamma USA and Sygma, which then became one of the largest and most influential photography agencies in the world. Sygma was acquired by the Corbis Corporation in 1999.

Biography

Born in Algeria in 1935, Laffont attended high school and college in Morocco, where he graduated in 1955.

In 1959, he received his master's degree in Photography from Europe's prestigious School of Arts et Metiers in Vevey, Switzerland.

In 1960, Laffont graduated from Military Infantry Academy, in Cherchell (Algeria), where he was a Press Officer, and then proceeded to serve in the French Army as a Commanding Officer in the Oran region in the Algeria War throughout April 1962. He then returned to Paris, where, from 1962 to 1964, he began assisting photographers Sam Levin and Choura, renowned for their photographs of celebrities and movie stars. It was in this period of time that Laffont started to work in portraiture and fashion photography, and was hired as special photographer on movie sets for MGM in Rome.

In 1965, he arrived in the United States and began his career as a photojournalist, and worked as a staff photographer for Status Magazine.

In 1966, he married Eliane Lucotte and in 1970 they had a daughter, Stephanie, born in Nice (France), who is now a professional artist living in New York City.

Laffont then became the first Foreign Correspondent for Gamma Press Images, and in 1970, with his wife Eliane Laffont, opened the U.S. office of Gamma Press Images agency. Laffont covered historical American events, such as the Civil Rights Movement, the Race Riots, the Vietnam War, the peace movement, as well as the gay and feminist movement.

In 1973, Laffont was one of the co-founders of the Sygma Photo News agency. His work expanded to the coverage of international events in Japan, Korea, Africa, India, China, the Middle East, Poland and the U.S.S.R. During those years, deeply touched by the suffering endured by children, he, from 1970 to 1980, made a major reportage on child labor throughout the world. The photographs he brought back from those countries were the first global photo essay on child labor and the most eloquent and cruel testimonials. Jean-Pierre has won the most prestigious awards in photojournalism for this series, including the Overseas Press Club's Madeline Dane Ross Award and first prize in the World Press General Picture category.

During the 80's, still photographing around the world, his work particularly focused on the U.S agricultural crisis, scientific research and world economy, mostly in Eastern Europe, the USSR, China, India and Third World countries. His photographs have been featured in major publications worldwide: Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Paris Match, Le Figaro Magazine, Stern, Bunte, Época, The Sunday Times in London and Manchete, his work has also gained high recognition through numerous awards.

In 1999, Corbis acquired Sygma and Jean-Pierre Laffont was appointed General Director of Corbis Sygma in the U.S. In 2000, he left Corbis and was hired by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. as General Manager of Gamma Press USA.

Laffont currently resides in New York City.

Awards and honors

• 1979: World Press Photo: 3rd Prize, General News
• 1980: First Prize: New York Newspaper Guild, for "Child Labor"; Overseas Press Club: Madeline Dane Ross Award, for originating the use of photography to raise awareness of child labor conditions around the world.
• 1981: Missouri School of Journalism First Prize; Special Recognition Award: World Understanding; World Press Photo: Honorable Mention, News Feature.
• 1996: Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (French National Order)

Shows and exhibitions

• 1996 – Visa pour l'Image (Perpignan, France)/ Retrospective
• 2012 – Visa pour l'Image (Perpignan, France)/ projection of "Mon Algérie"
• 2014 – Photographer's Paradise – Turbulent America 1960–1990, film – Visa pour l’Image, Perpignan, France
• 2015 – Turbulent America, Maison Europeenne de la Photographie (MEP), Paris, France
• 2015 – Photographer's Paradise – Foto Fusion: Cultural Center, Palm Beach, Florida, USA
• 2016 – Turbulent America – Photo Biennale, Central Exhibition Hall Manege, Moscow, Russia
• 2016 – Turbulent America, Tri Postal, Lille, France
• 2016 – Turbulent America, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China
• 2016 – Tumultueuse Amerique, Musee de L'Arsenal, Metz, France
• 2016 – Amérique: Mythes et Légendes, Eglise Saint-Vincent, Merignac, France
• 2017 – New York City Up and Down, Projection – Visa Pour l’Image, Perpignan, France
• 2017 – Jean Pierre Laffont, Un Francais à New York – Gallerie de l’Instant, Paris, France
• 2017–2018 – Turbulent America, Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, New York City, NY, USA.
• 2018 – Laffont's Long March – Beaugeste Gallery, Shanghai, China
• 2018 – New York Up and Down – Shenzhen Photo Festival, Shenzhen, China
• 2018 – Jean Pierre Laffont New York Down and Out – Leica New York City, NY, USA
• 2019 – Jean Pierre Laffont Turbulent America – Candiani, Mestre, Italy.
• 2019 – Mes Stars en Amèrique – Les Grandes Recontres Salon de La Photo, Paris, France.
• 2020 – Mes Stars en Amèrique – Galerie De L’Instant, Paris, France.
• 2020 – Twenty Five Icons of America by Jean Pierre Laffont online show – Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, New York City, NY, USA.

Publications

Monographs

• 1976 – CB Bible, Porter Bibb (Doubleday)
• 1981 – Women of Iron (Playboy)
• 2008 – Jean-Pierre Laffont Foreign Correspondent (Editions C.D.P/France)
• 2014 – Photographer's Paradise: Turbulent America 1960 – 1990 (JP Laffont Photography/ Glitterati)
• 2017 – New York City Up and Down / (Glitterati)
• 2019 – Nos Stars en Amèrique Cartes postales de Jean Pierre Laffont / (Editions de La Martinière)

Contributor

• Contributions to various volumes of A Day in the Life Series (HarperCollins)
  • 1986 – The Long March (Intercontinental)
  • 1989 – Trois Jours en France(Nathan/France)
  • 1992 – America Then & Now (Cohen/ HarperCollins)
  • 1999 – Les 100 photos du Siècle (Chêne)
  • 2003 – America 24/7 in Manhattan (NY State)
  • 2011 – The New York Times magazine: Photographs (Aperture Foundation)
  • 2012 – 20 Years, Limited Edition (CDP)
  • 2013 – 40 Ans de Photojournalisme: Generation Sygma(Martinière/ France)

References

1. Balean, John. "PAN Special Report: The Sygma Preservation and Access Facility". International Picture Library and Agency News. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
2. Laffont, Adam Sternbergh, Jean-Pierre. "The Photographer Who's Been Capturing Historic New York Moments for 50 Years". Vulture. Retrieved 2017-11-20.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. "Eliane Laffont". Pictures of the Year International.
4. "Year of the Child". World Press Photo. Archived from the original on 2014-03-25.
5. "The Economic Depression". World Press Photo. Archived from the original on 2014-03-25.
6. "Jean-Pierre Laffont". Wall Street International. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
7. "Jean-Pierre Laffont Retrospective". Visa pour l'Image. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
8. Cohn, Laffont, Suars, Nik, Jean-Pierre, Jean-Claude (1981). Women of iron: The world of female bodybuilders. Wideview Books. p. 159. ISBN 0872237273.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
9. "Jean-Pierre Laffont: Photographer's Paradise". zPhotoJournal. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
10. China: The Long March (PDF). Intercontinental Publishing Corp. 1986. p. 320.
11. Trois Jours en France. Editions Nathan. May 1989. ISBN 978-2092400418.
12. Cohen, David (September 1, 1992). America then & now. HarperCollins. p. 232. ISBN 9780062501769.
13. "Les 100 Photos du siècle: Les survivants des Andes - 1971 - Jean-Pierre Laffont". Centre de documentation du CLEMI. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
14. Cohen, David Elliot (2003). America 24/7. DK ADULT. p. 304. ISBN 978-0789499752.
15. "20 Years, Limited Edition". Visa pour l'Image. Archived from the original on 2017-07-09. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
16. "40 ans de photojournalisme, Génération Sygma". Arret su le Monde. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.

External links

• Official website
• Corbis: Jean Pierre Laffont

• Algerian photojournalists
• 1935 births
• Living people
• 21st-century Algerian people