This volume devoted to the formative years of photographer John Max, “as his professional status grew” is based on the discovery of previously unseen images that remained at the contact-sheet stage. Beyond offering a return to the 1950s and 1960s, Premières planches pays tribute to work done quietly, sheltered from view. “They reveal the swarm of experience behind the apparent coherence – before the selection and refinement – inscribing images, people, and illustrious moments in the shared continuum made of micro-narratives and multiple social groups,” comments Fanny Bieth.