Paris: The Estée Lauder Pink Ribbon Photography Award

The Hôtel de Sully - Le Marais is currently host to a courageous photographic exhibition. The link contains images from the exhibition. We didn't know it was on, but came across it as we were wandering around the area this afternoon. The hôtel is elaborate in appearance, as per Louis Xlll style, with amazing decoration and fabulous proportions. The building is actually a private mansion or a hôtel particulier, built between 1625 and 1630. It had various owners, before being classified as a historic monument in 1862. The hôtel transferred from private to state ownership in 1944 and for the last forty six years has been the home of the Centre for Historic Monuments.

I suppose one of the reasons the hôtel served the exhibition so well is because of the contrast between the venue with its excessive swirls and curls, and the stark uncluttered reality that the individuals in the photos and their families are having to face.  This was an outdoor exhibition, with the photos enlarged to at least A1, and then carefully fixed to the walls. Poignant and humourous, the images reflected all those qualities that are uniquely human. They are to be published in Marie Claire, although I'm not sure when or if this has already happened.

The origin of the pink ribbon is contained in this link. It's in French, but essentially the idea was co-created by Evelyn Lauder in 1992. She was also a passionate photographer . She died of ovarian cancer in 2011.