The Timeless Tradition of Transhumance in Provence: 2 photographers, 50 years apart

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Every June and October in the heart of Provence, a timeless journey unfolds as shepherds lead their flocks through ancient routes to alpine meadows. This ritual, known as La Transhumance, is not just a migration but a living bridge between past and present. Through the lens of two photographers, André Abbe and Julian Shelton, we witness a story of tradition, resilience, and change, with a 50 years gap. Join us as we explore the enduring legacy and uncertain future of this UNESCO listed cultural heritage.
The Shepherd is an Island

In the heart of Provence, a timeless ritual unfolds each year: La Transhumance. It is a journey of shepherds and their flocks, a migration from lowland pastures to alpine meadows, steeped in a history as enduring as the region’s rugged landscapes. Over half a century ago, renowned photographer André Abbe captured this tradition with his lens, documenting not just an event, but a way of life—a symbiosis between land, labor, and culture. Last year, I had the extraordinary privilege of witnessing and photographing the same event, walking in the footsteps of Abbe, and encountering the Bellini family, the same family who graced his images many decades ago. The result is a dialogue between two bodies of work, separated by fifty years yet united in their reverence for this enduring tradition.
Hardness, Solitude, and the Countryside

The photographs, juxtaposed, tell a story of both constancy and change. In Abbe’s images, the Bellini family shepherded their flock with tools and techniques passed down through generations. In mine, they carry on the same ritual, their movements echoing those of the past, even as the modern world encroaches. The images speak to the resilience of tradition, but also to the fragility of cultural heritage in an era of globalization, climate change, and economic upheaval. La Transhumance remains, but for how much longer? The Bellini family’s story is not just their own; it is the story of Provence, of rural traditions worldwide, and of a planet in flux.
Indomitable Spirit

André Abbe’s work is more than a photographic archive; it is a cultural artifact. With over 100,000 images, much of it still on film slides, his oeuvre is a testament to the laborers, agriculteurs, and landscapes of Provence. His lens celebrated the people who toiled to sustain a region’s identity, even as the world beyond sought to homogenize it. In capturing the essence of Provence, Abbe created a body of work that is as much about resistance as it is about beauty—resistance to the erasure of local culture in the face of globalism, and resistance to the disconnection from nature that modernity demands.
Bergers at Work

Today, Abbe Photo, the cultural non-profit dedicated to preserving André Abbe’s legacy, works tirelessly to digitize and share this monumental archive. Their mission is urgent: the images are a window into a world that is rapidly disappearing. Climate change, with its unrelenting droughts and shifting ecosystems, threatens the viability of traditional agrarian practices. Globalization pushes younger generations away from the fields and into cities. The traditions that Abbe captured—the transhumance, the grape harvest, the olive presses—are not merely endangered; they are on the brink of extinction.
Two Photographers, 50 years apart

An exhibition of André Abbe’s work in the United States, paired with my own photographs of La Transhumance, offers a unique opportunity to bridge time and geography. It is not just an artistic endeavor but a call to action. By sharing these images, we invite audiences to witness what is at stake—to see the beauty, resilience, and humanity of traditions that may soon be lost. Such an exhibit could ignite a dialogue about the importance of preserving cultural heritage in the face of a rapidly changing world.
Preserving 55 years worth of World Heritage

For me, this collaboration is about honoring the work of a master and contributing to a shared mission. Abbe Photo’s dedication to preserving André Abbe’s legacy has intertwined with my own photographic journey. Together, our images tell a story that spans generations, one that speaks to the enduring power of tradition and the urgent need to protect it.
La Transhumance, for how much longer?

Together, we seek to bring this vision to life: an exhibit that juxtaposes André Abbe’s historic photographs with my contemporary images of the same subjects. It is an invitation to step into the world of Provence, to feel the weight of its history and the fragility of its future. It is a celebration of culture, a warning against its loss, and a reminder of the role that art can play in preserving the soul of a place. La Transhumance continues, but the question remains: for how much longer?
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