The Ohio State University

A second set of photographs was taken by Paul-Henri Bourguignon in Peru between August 1948 and June 1950.  The collection also includes a number of Paul-Henri Bourguignon’s photographs dating from a trip to Yugoslavia in 1932, primarily in Bosnia. There are also images from his travels in the course of the 1930s to other parts of Southern Europe (South of France, Corsica, Italy, and Spain).

In addition, a number of supplementary photographs, including some postcards, are provided.

The photographs were taken in daylight, using black and white film.  The Haitian and Peruvian photographs were taken with a Voigtlander camera.  For Haiti and Peru, Bourguignon printed his own enlargements, in the case of Haiti with a view toward the publication of a book.  Some enlargements have been exhibited, some have been published, a number are to be found in private collections.

The photographs are identified in a series of databases designed by Jane Hoffelt.  These are supplemented by brief commentaries, drawing, in the case of Haiti, on Erika Bourguignon’s field notes.  Brief bibliographies are also added.

Paul-Henri Bourguignon (1906–1988), Belgian artist and writer, came to Haiti from Belgium in the Spring of 1947 (PH000, UH001–2) at the invitation of a pre-war acquaintance, Arnil St. Rome, Haitian Consul General in Brussels in the mid-1930s (UH670–1).  In Haiti, he wrote for the Brussels daily, Le Phare, as well as several Haitian papers.  He wrote short stories as well as the draft of a novel, photographed extensively and became involved in the Haitian art scene (E. Bourguignn 2004).

As an artist, Bourguignon initially painted largely on site.  In later years, Bourguignon used some photographs as visual reminders as he reflected on Haiti in his drawings and paintings.  Peru, on the other hand, left little trace in his paintings.