Bruno Barbey
Bruno Barbey (13 February 1941 – 9 November 2020) was a Moroccan-born French photographer. Throughout his four-decade career, he travelled across five continents, photographing many wars.
Bruno Barbey
- Born
- 1941. · Berrechid.
- Died
- 2020. · Orbais-l'Abbaye.
- Nationality
- France and Switzerland.
- Occupation
- photographer, photojournalist and writer.
- Education
- Lycée Henri-IV.
- Honours
- Knight of the National Order of Merit.
- Languages
- French.
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Bruno Barbey (13 February 1941 – 9 November 2020) was a Moroccan-born French photographer. Throughout his four-decade career, he travelled across five continents, photographing many wars.
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q2926627 · wikipedia · Bruno Barbey
In this article
Life and work
Life and work
Bruno Barbey studied at Lycée Henri-IV. The recorded working language is French. Work by Bruno Barbey is recorded in the collections of Photography Collection and National Museum of World Cultures. Distinctions recorded are Knight of the National Order of Merit.
Barbey was born in Morocco. His father was a diplomat. In 1959/1960 studied photography and graphic arts at the Ecole des Arts et Métiers in Vevey, Switzerland. During the 1960s he was commissioned to photograph European and African countries by Editions Rencontre in Lausanne. In 1964, Barbey began a relationship with Magnum Photos, becoming an Associate member in 1966, and a full member in 1968, at which time he was photographing student riots in Paris. He eventually served as Magnum vice president for Europe in 1978 and 1979 and from 1992 to 1995 as President of Magnum International. He spent 1979 to 1981 photographing Poland, resulting in his book Poland. He rejected the label of 'war photographer', although he became renowned for photographing conflicts as well as unusual, beautiful images. He covered civil wars in Nigeria, Vietnam, the Middle East, Cambodia, Northern Ireland, Iraq, Kuwait and the liberation war in Bangladesh. From 2005 Barbey pursued, among other work, a project on Istanbul.
Death
Death
Barbey died on 9 November 2020 at the age of 79 in Orbais l’Abbaye, France.
Identity
Identity
Bruno Barbey is recorded with the occupation photojournalist. Recorded as photographer, photojournalist and writer.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1941
Bruno Barbey was born on 13 February 1941.
2020
Bruno Barbey died at Orbais-l'Abbaye.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Berrechid.
Birth place
Orbais-l'Abbaye.
Death place
Publications by Barbey
Publications by Barbey
• Naples. Switzerland: Rencontre, 1964. • Camargue. Switzerland: Rencontre, 1964. • Portugal. Switzerland: Rencontre, 1966. • Kenya. Switzerland: Rencontre, 1966. • Koweït. Switzerland: Rencontre, 1967. • Ecosse. Switzerland: Rencontre, 1968. • Ceylan. France: André Barret, 1974. • Iran. Jeune Afrique, 1976. • Nigeria. France: Jeune Afrique, 1978. • Bombay. Netherlands: Time & Life, 1979. • Pologne. France: Arthaud, 1982. • Le Gabon. France: Chêne, 1984. • Portugal. Germany: Hoffmann & Campe, 1988. • Fès, immobile, immortelle. France: Imprimerie Nationale, 1996. • Gens des nuages. France: Stock, 1997. • Mai 68. France: Différence, 1998. • Photo Poche. France: Nathan, 1999. • Essaouira. France: Chêne, 2000. • Les Italiens. France: Martinière, 2002. • Maroc. France: Martinière, 2003. • 1968, Bruno Barbey. Istanbul, Turkey: Fotografevi, 2008. • Italyanlar / Italians. Turkey: Yapi Kredi, 2008. • Bruno Barbey's Istanbul. Turkey: Yapi Kredi, 2009. • Passages. Paris: La Martinière, 2015.. Bilingual in English and French.
Publications with contributions by Barbey
Publications with contributions by Barbey
• Magnum Contact Sheets. Edited by Kristen Lubben. • Magnum Contact Sheets. London: Thames & Hudson, 2011.. • Magnum Contact Sheets. London: Thames & Hudson, 2014.. Compact edition. • Magnum Contact Sheets: The Collector's Edition: Bruno Barbey, Paris Riots, 1968. London: Thames & Hudson, 2011..
Films
• The Bakery Girl of Monceau (1963) – directed by Éric Rohmer, cinematography by Barbey • Mai 68 (1968) – 16 mm, B&W • 3 Jours, 3 Photographes (1979) – directed by F. Moscovitz; about Barbey, Jean Loup Sieff and Robert Doisneau • Assignment in Morocco (1988) – BBC, directed by Clem Vallance; in conjunction with centenary of National Geographic • Maroc sans Frontière (1996) – directed by Mostafa Bouazzaoui for Moroccan television • Les Italiens (2002) – directed by Caroline Thiénot; betanum, 10 mins • Panoramiques Maroc (2003) – Caroline Thiénot; betanum, 12 mins • Grand Angle (2005) – 2M, Maroc • Mai 68 vu par Bruno Barbey (2008) – Caroline Thienot
Collections
Collections
Barbey's work is held in the following collection: • Magnum Photos: Photographic Collection at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2926627: Bruno Barbey
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Bruno Barbey”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Awards
• French National Order of Merit • Overseas Press Club Award • Photojournalism Award, University of Missouri
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Recognition and collections. Barbey received Knight of the National Order of Merit.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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