The meeting of a photographer and a writer
When the young German photographer Hans Silvester arrives in Camargue in 1958, he falls under the charm of this wild territory and settles there to take photos of a pure and luminous nature.
The publisher consulted for a potential publication of these magnificent images requires a preface.
Driven by his passion, Silvester convinces Jean Giono, a Provençal writer then at the height of his art, to write not a preface, but a long poetic and engaged narrative.
The album Camargue published in 1960 by the Guilde du Livre met with immediate success.
A visual and poetic album
The book Camargue shows the raw landscapes of the Rhône delta, the Camargue horses captured at eye level and the changing reflections of the lagoons.
Giono’s style accompanies the images: he does not describe, he narrates and blows a wind of poetry: you come across the guardians, the salty winds, the “moon that whitens the reeds,” and you think you hear the horses neighing as you turn the pages.
A recovered poetic dialogue
In 2026, the association of the Friends of Giono proposes a reissue of this book.
The Les Perles Rares editions limit the print run to 1 000 copies and its price, under €30, is nothing short of miraculous for art lovers.
Unlike the original edition, which contained around a hundred photographs, this new edition emphasizes legibility and print quality. The dialogue between the writer and the photographer remains intact: Giono offers a dreamlike Camargue, while Silvester, through his images, makes you feel the delta wind and hear the horses’ hooves.
Why rediscover this treasure?
For decades, Camargue remained a collector’s item. The 2026 reissue is an opportunity to savor this unique dialogue once again:
- Ecology ahead of its time: Giono already advocates for the preservation of marshes and species, a surprisingly current message.
- Timeless aesthetics: the black and white photographs give the landscapes a pictorial, pure dimension that contrasts with today’s saturated images.
- Crossed perspectives: the association of a Provençal writer and a German photographer offers a rare testimony about the Rhône delta.
To reread this text and leaf through these images is to rediscover a Camargue out of time, before the arrival of tourism. The album is savored like a journey where one imagines the smell of reeds and the flight of pink flamingos.
The Camargue, a common thread in Hans Silvester’s life
Hans Silvester discovered photography at a very young age, and it was while exploring the Camargue in 1958 that he found the cradle of his gaze, a guiding thread throughout his career.
Despite his reports to the four corners of the world, he remained deeply attached to the Camargue and its inhabitants.
This affection is reflected in his series: horses, birds, marshes and salt marshes become major subjects, as evidenced by his exhibition “Camargue by Hans Silvester,” presented at the Camargue Festival in 2026.
Where to find the book and the original photographs?
The 2026 reissue of Camargue and the original signed prints by Hans Silvester are available at his gallery “Retour de Voyage”, located at La Maison sur la Sorgue in L’Isle‑sur‑la‑Sorgue.
This gallery presents all the photographer’s books and works as well as rare silver prints.