We don’t turn 100 every day. And what better way to celebrate such an anniversary than with an unpublished book? Founded in 1924 in Thouars, Studio Dupitier, which unites five generations of photographers, has well deserved its own. It owes it to Claude Dupitier, actor and witness of this family history, and Damien Cocard, president of the Société d’histoire, d’archéologie et des arts du Pays thouarsais (Shaapt).
“Claude came to see me to say: would you like to tell the story of my family? It was a real challenge that we took up by deciding to tell three stories in one: the Dupitier family saga, and through it the history of photography but also the life of Thouars and the people of Thouars.”confides Damien Cocard.
“Witnesses of our lives and our city”
“Photographers are present in all the big moments as well as in everyday life, they are the privileged witnesses of our lives and our city. Their work is truly precious for historians”, he adds, calling on the public not to throw away old photos that are gathering dust in attics.
A photo exhibition by Studio Dupitier, showing the evolution of Place Lavault throughout the 20th century, can be seen on the gates of Square Roosevelt.
© (Photo NR)
As you turn the pages, everything is clear: the talent of the photographers to capture these intense and fleeting moments, the Dupitiers’ unwavering attachment to the city of Thouars, as well as the fascinating power of images to embody the great story.
“However, originally, photography was an activity that was secondary to other professions (plasterer, hairdresser, etc.). At the beginning of the 20th century,e century, a photo cost about a day’s wage for a worker. It will gradually become more democratic. Today, with cell phones, everyone can be a photographer…” The talent of Studio Dupitier is precisely to have known how to adapt to all these major technological and commercial changes.
Claude Dupitier and Damien Cocard presented their work at the Brin de Lecture bookstore during the 2024 Heritage Days.
© (Photo NR)
“It’s not easy to tell the story of a family that we don’t know much about, Damien has succeeded with talent”greets Claude Dupitier, who has now been succeeded by Julien Garnier at the head of the studio. “It’s a pleasure to work with Claude, he never gets angry”retorts Damien Cocard between two dedications.
The work was in fact presented to the public on Saturday, September 21, 2024, during the Heritage Days, just after the inauguration of an exhibition visible at Roosevelt Square. It shows, through a few photos, the evolution of Place Lavault over the 20e century.
Soon, this place will undergo a new metamorphosis with a major construction site (seven million euros to develop three hectares) which should begin in January 2025. No doubt that photographers will be present to immortalize the event. And why not provide material for a new book in a hundred years…
“The Dupitier saga, Thouars through the lens of photographers” (editions La Geste, 150 pages, €30). Available at the Brin de lecture bookstore in Thouars.
