Thomas Ruff: Bonfils

In 2021, Ruff acquired reproductions of glass negatives from Maison Bonfils, a photo studio opened in Beirut in 1864 by Félix Bonfils. Most of these nearly  150-year-old negatives were in poor condition. Published by Bonfils in miscellaneous large-format albums, the photographs depict ancient sites and landscapes of the Middle East. At that time, it remained impossible to enlarge or reduce a print directly from a negative; they had to be photographed again in the desired size before having a print made. Moreover, the images were often altered from their original appearance—the backgrounds might be darkened and a title and signature applied to the reproduction. Often, several negatives of different sizes were produced from a sole motif, then used for the production of albums, while being treated with corresponding care, as they weren’t the “original negatives.” By making new prints from the reproduced negatives, Ruff has worked out the marks of time and improper treatment. —adapted from texts related to Thomas Ruff: Metaphotographie at MAMC, 2022