Get the Picture

A barrage of photos confronts most of us daily, but few are as memorable as a Studio Harcourt close-up. You know the image: the face of a star is captured in sharp-contrast black and white, as if frozen on a movie set, forehead smooth as marble, barely smiling or not at all, lush, glamorous, timeless. Whether you recognize the face or not— although you probably do—the photo itself implies that you should.

Founded in Paris in 1934, Studio Harcourt quickly became an infallible barometer of stardom and celebrity. So much so that French philosopher Roland Barthes declared in his famous Mythologies, “In France one is not an actor if one has not been photographed by Harcourt.” A contract with MGM studios in Hollywood clinched the Studio’s reputation as bestower of star status, a claim substantiated when the French government bought Harcourt’s full archives of prints and negatives in 1990.

Harcourt’s sale to new owners in 1994 ushered in a new era. Now housed in an elegant mansion off the Avenue Montaigne, the photo studio still harbors a mystique that a visit does little to dispel. Up a sweeping red-carpeted staircase flanked by giant portraits—and there’s Karl Lagerfeld again—every client receives the full star treatment.

“We drink a lot of Champagne here,” says commercial director George Hayter. “It puts the client at ease.” With the flawless mugs of Laetitia Casta, Marion Cotillard and Monica Belluci to contend with, a little extra courage may come in handy.

These days, the iconic Harcourt signature is not limited to movie stars and celebrities. Politicians, Nobel Prize winners, fashion designers and athletes are frequent clients, along with high-end advertisers. Shots of sports cars, jewels and wine abound. Even Barbie visited for her 40th anniversary shot. And so can you.

If €1,960 for a portrait prestige seems steep, €950 for the portrait instant is a paltry price for joining the ranks of such sitters as Garbo and Dietrich, Bergman and Deneuve. Prices include makeup in the red Cocteau Room, shots in several poses, professional advice when choosing from the contact sheet and, of course, Champagne.

If even the portrait instant seems extravagant in these days of ubiquitous cell phone snapshots, never fear. In a stroke of pure genius, Harcourt has adapted its glamorous technique to a pioneering automatic photo booth, replacing the flash with diffused beams to approximate the “Harcourt halo” effect of light and shadow. Three have been installed in Paris, and more are soon to be found in movie theaters and major department stores citywide. At €10 a session, it’s virtually a must. Studio, 10 ave Jean Goujon, 8th, 01.42.56.67.67. Harcourt booths: Printemps Mode, 64 blvd Haussmann, 9th; Franck et Fils, 80 rue de Passy, 16th; MK2 Bibliothèque movie theater, 128–162 ave de France, 13th.

 

 

Originally published in the March 2013 issue of France Today.