Aiming to be one of the main international events for photography past and present and to show off photography in all its multifaceted glory (from documentary photography to artistic shots), the first edition brought together 60 exhibitors from 12 countries.
The event was bought in 2002 by Reed Expositions France at the initiative of Jean-Daniel Compain.
With 30 countries represented (12 in 1997), the most recent, twentieth edition was held in November 2016 and brought together 183 exhibitors (153 galleries and 30 publishers) - three times more than the first edition in 1997.
With nearly 60,000 visitors each year, Paris Photo has become the world's leading photographic event, bringing together galleries, publishers, collectors and photography enthusiasts from around the world.
Held in the Carrousel du Louvre until 2010, it’s been held in the Grand Palais since 2011.
In 2013, Paris Photo Los Angeles was launched in West Hollywood in the iconic Paramount studios, the oldest working cinema studio in America. Despite the event’s location, right next to film sets, and the visits of Hollywood stars, the Hollywood dream which brought gallery owners running to California, a region synonymous with renowned buyers, the film industry and incredible villas came to an end in 2016.
In an article published in Le Figaro on 15/02/2016, Jean-Daniel Compain, then senior VP of Culture, Luxury and Leisure division at Reed Expositions (which manages FIAC, Paris Photo and, at that time, the Biennale des Antiquaires, three flagship artistic events hosted in the Grand Palais) commented on this decision: “Despite the tremendous efforts made by the city, galleries, institutions and collectors and despite all of Los Angeles’ potential in terms of cultural development, the market’s conditions in terms of major fairs has led us to make this decision.”