Dear Sophie -
EUGENE ATGET documented the streets of Paris largely to sell the images to artists for reference. BERENICE ABBOTT befriended Atget when she was an apprentice for MAN RAY. (Atget was Ray's neighbor in Montparnasse.)
Abbott collected all of Atget's negatives upon his passing and ensured their safety by arranging the purchase of his archive by MoMA N.Y. They launched a full scale exhibition recognizing the work not just as documentation, but as art.
When Abbott returned from Paris to New York she took to the streets and snapped away inspired by Atget's practice. Stay tuned!!
With love,
Mom