Pioneer of photography: Jeanne Devos' over 100,000 stories in the museum

Pioneer of photography: Jeanne Devos' over 100,000 stories in the museum

Jeanne Devos has carved out a unique place for herself in the world of photography. As the first professional photographer in the Hauts-de-France, her impressive life story sheds light on the shadows of the past. Born on February 10, 1902 in Bailleul, northern France, she became a pioneer in her profession, whose works still have a special meaning today. Her home in Wormhout, where she lived and worked, has been converted into a museum that preserves and celebrates her legacy. France Bleu reports that the museum has its first camera, a stereo, with whom Devos learned photography.

Jeanne Devos experienced a great challenge in her youth when she contracted tuberculosis at just 20 years old. Her father, an agricultural broker, took her to the country on the advice of a doctor to help her recover. This ultimately led her to Abbé Joseph Lamps, who brought her to Corsica in 1923 and introduced her to the secrets of photography. Your journey into the world of images began.

Pioneering work in wedding photography

From the 1930s onwards, Devos specialized in wedding photography and documented celebrations from morning to evening. These reports were highly successful as they captured each guest in action. At a time when many people only relied on posed portraits, she had a good knack for authentic and moving snapshots. Despite the challenges of World War II, she remained active and used her photography for the Resistance. In 1943, while working with resistance movements, she acquired a Leica but continued to use her stereo for identity photos, helping many in need of fake IDs.

In total, Devos created an impressive collection of over 100,000 photographs that tell stories of people, events and rural life in Flanders. Wikipedia) highlights that she captured more than 150 images of the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade during the liberation of Bissezeele in 1944.

A lasting legacy

After her retirement in 1978, Devos turned more to preserving her works by donating her photographs to the Comité flamand de France. She died on June 18, 1989 and was buried in her garden next to her mentor Abbé Joseph Lamps. The museum not only shows her photographs, but also a variety of documents and objects that reflect her life and work.

To pass on Devos' legacy, a documentary film about her life entitled "Les images de Mademoiselle Devos" was presented in 2022. Two books have also been published that deal with her impressive work and life: "Jeanne Devos. Photographe de la Flandre rurale et religieuse" and "Dans l'objectif de Mademoiselle Jeanne Devos". The Museum of Photography in Berlin celebrates the importance of photographers during its 20th birthday and shows that interest in photography and its historiography remains unbroken.

Jeanne Devos left us more than just pictures; she has given us a voice that resonates in the noise of time and brings us closer to the human stories captured in every photograph.