Death of gallery owner Agathe Gaillard

Le Marais has lost one of its historical figures: Agathe Gaillard, a pioneer in the promotion of contemporary photography, died on June 13, 2025 at the age of 83.

Her name remains inseparable from 3 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, the legendary address where, in 1975, she opened the first French gallery exclusively devoted to photography. This art, then considered minor, was passionately championed by Agathe Gaillard. In the late 1960s, she worked tirelessly to ensure that photographic printing was recognized as a work of art in its own right, at a time when photography was struggling to establish itself in Parisian galleries.

Agathe Gaillard in front of the facade of her gallery before opening, 1975, © Jean-Philippe Charbonnier.

Born in Nîmes and arriving in Paris in 1965 after graduating from high school, Agathe Gaillard discovered photography at the La Hune bookstore, where she worked in the art department. It was there that she met Jean-Philippe Charbonnier, photographer and future husband, who drew her into the world of the 30x40 club, a true melting pot of the French photography scene.

In 1968, she published her first postcards, "Masterpieces of Photography," with a print run of 600 copies, launching a career as an image transmitter that would never end.

Shocked to see the rivalry between writing and photography, she designed a space for this art form, seen as an illustration of what was being said. She took the side of photographers who complained that newspapers censored their photos by cropping them or adding captions.

This is how a gallery dedicated to them was born. "I thought it wasn't normal, that something had to be done to ensure that photography was respected and recognized as a form of thought and creation. I had this idea that if we showed photography as a work of art, perhaps we would look at it as such, differently."

Agathe Gaillard in front of the facade of her gallery before opening, 1975, © Jean-Philippe Charbonnier.

In the Marais district, the Agathe Gaillard gallery has become a must-see for art lovers, collectors, and artists. It exhibits the biggest names: André Kertész, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Édouard Boubat, as well as emerging talents, always with a keen eye and a direct voice. Her commitment doesn't stop at the walls: she co-founded the Association for the Defense and Promotion of Original Photography and supported the donation of André Kertész's work to the French government.

After directing the gallery until 2017, Agathe Gaillard passed the torch to Galerie Rouge, which continues her legacy today. Her archive, rich in correspondence, invitations, and photographs, is now housed in the Bibliothèque Kandinsky at the Centre Pompidou, testifying to her central place in the history of art and the Marais district.

Agathe Gaillard leaves behind the memory of a woman of conviction, who transformed a Marais location into a place of remembrance and creativity, and who, until the very end, defended photography as a living art. The neighborhood has lost a landmark, photography a legend, and Paris one of its greatest cultural ambassadors.