Opening: François Tuefferd Retrospective January 2, 2009

Las Cruces, NM – A retrospective of the life works of French photographer François Tuefferd will be shown at Branigan Cultural Center in January. The show opens on Friday, January 2, 2009 with a reception from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. His widow, Helen Tuefferd, now a resident of Las Cruces will be in attendance. The exhibit runs through Saturday, January 31st.

Born in Montbéliard, France in 1912, Tuefferd was initiated into photography by his father, a physician and amateur photographer who had a passion for trying new cameras. He began his professional career at Vogue Studio in Paris as a trainee. By 1937 he created “Le Chasseur d’Images”, the first specialized photo gallery in Paris with a workshop /studio. When the gallery closed at the beginning of WWII, he began documenting the circus world.

It was his passion for the circus that brought Tuefferd to the United States to attend a circus fan convention. He decided to remain in the states, settling in New Hampshire, working for private clientele as well as for a few magazines, among which were Seventeen, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated.

He retired from photography in the mid 1950s due to health reasons. In 1990 his photographic work was rediscovered by the French and the Bibliothéque historique de la Ville de Paris honored him with a large show in 1993. He travelled back and forth between France and the U.S. to promote his many photographs until his death in 1996.

The Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main Street, is located at the north end of the downtown mall in Las Cruces. The exhibit and reception is free and open to the public. Galleries are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about exhibits, contact the Branigan Cultural Center at (575) 541-2154 or visit the Center’s web site at http://museums.las-cruces.org.