L is for Look
Children’s Photobooks
Anne Lacoste/Rose Durr

Dedicated to the history of the children’s photobook, L is for Look brings together more than a hundred albums published in different countries. From its emergence—marked by the development in the 1930s of new teaching methods based on images rather than text—through to the present day, the children’s photobook has been invested in the realistic nature of photography. Covering all the different categories of children’s literature, from ABC books to reinterpretations of traditional fairy tales, it accompanies the child in their process of development and emancipation and stimulates their creativity, all with a common goal in mind: to question and nurture their view of the world. This genre, which has been explored by some of the major figures in photography, is also a field that is predominately favored by women photographers. It is notable for the diversity of the disciplines it brings together, such as the graphic arts and live performance.

Anne Lacoste is director of Institut pour la photographie Hauts-de-France. Paul Cottin is an advisor for the PoBoC association, whose prime focus is on children’s photobooks. Rose Durr is a PhD candidate and researcher at Institut pour la photographie Hauts-de-France. Allegra Baggio Corradi is a research coordinator at the CIRCI International Centre for Research in the Culture of Childhood. Elisabeth Lortic is co-founder of the association Les Trois Ourses which is dedicated to children’s photobooks. Olivier Lugon is a historian of photography and a professor at the University of Lausanne.