Francis Bruguière

Biography

Francis Bruguière (1879–1945), born in San Francisco, was trained by Frank Eugene and became a member of the Stieglitz circle. Living in New York from 1918 to 1927, his interest in experimental photography (multiple exposures, light abstractions, solarizations) originated in a desire to expand the medium’s possibilities of creative expression, while his interest in theater and film led to a collaboration with the dancer Sebastian Droste and the actress Rosalinde Fuller. In 1927 Bruguière moved with Fuller to London where he continued his collaborative experiments—now with the author and radio producer Lance Sieveking (1896–1972). Together they produced the book Beyond This Point (London: Duckworth, 1929). Through a solo exhibition at the Sturm gallery in Berlin in 1928, Bruguière made a name for himself in Germany, participating the following year, like Blossfeldt, in the legendary Film und Foto show in Stuttgart, which traveled extensively in Europe and Japan. In England he became friends with the members of the British avant-garde, including Paul Nash, Henry Moore, and the critic Herbert Read.