Institut National des jeunes aveugles opens photography collection

The Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles in Paris opened its photographic collection to the public for the first time.

This move coincides with the bicentenary of the invention of photography. The 240-year-old institution is hosting an exhibition titled "Des aveugles. La collection photographique de l’INJA" to show how blind and visually impaired people have participated in the history of the medium.

Curator Léa Miranda explains that the exhibition seeks to move beyond the traditional relationship between a sighted photographer and a subject. The collection includes early photos where blind individuals are subjects, as well as medical records showing how photographic techniques and medical treatments for blindness evolved together. One specific piece is a relief photograph that visitors can touch, depicting a student playing the organ.

This tactile object connects back to the history of the medium, as the first photograph by Nicéphore Niépce was also a physical object with texture. The exhibition also features "vernacular" photos from the 1950s and 1960s taken by and for the residents of the institute. These images show students engaging in daily activities and celebrations, representing a shift away from the external gaze of outside photographers.

The collection includes works by various blind and visually impaired photographers who have contributed to the history of the art form. The exhibition runs until November 28, 2026.