Situated in the historic part of Paris, The Maison Européenne de la Photographie (or MEP) is a major centre for photographic art dedicated to contemporary creation. Located in an 18th century building it houses an exhibition centre, a large reference library, a videotape library containing films produced by or about photographs, and an auditorium.
The collection of MEP is dedicated to the contemporary creation. It owns about twenty thousand works of art, mostly photographs (silver and digital photography) and videos. The library gathers 24.000 volumes about photography, artists’ books as well as technical or theoretical works, including rare editions. Three or four exhibition cycles are organized every year about artists, themes and movements which mainly belong to the second half of the 20th century and the 21st century.
The Maison Européenne de la Photographie is located in the Hotell Henault de Cantobre, which was built in 1706,and since 1914 has belonged to the city of Paris. The façade overlooking the street, the period ironwork and the central staircase are all examples of classical architecture.