This exceptional collection came into our possession through the Giraudon acquisition and consists of hundreds of black and white master photographs documenting life in early twentieth century France. Of particular interest are haunting images of the First World War, and portraits of important figures in politics and the arts, including Winston Churchill, Johann August Stringberg, Guiseppe Verdi, Martin Heidegger, Oscar Wilde and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.