In its dynamic approach to managing collections across all its museums, the City of Nice is firmly committed to preserving and enhancing the Gilletta Collection.
A native of Levens, Jean Gilletta was both a photographer and the founder of a postcard publishing house. His exceptional work consists of nearly 8,000 photographs of the southern French landscapes, particularly those of the Côte d’Azur and the Nice hinterland. This now provides a valuable record of the period from the Belle Époque to the Roaring Twenties.
The city of Nice had already highlighted part of this collection during the exhibition “Jean Gilletta and the Côte d’Azur” at the Masséna Museum. An exhibition that at the time emphasized the historical significance of these images.
Today, the Gilletta Collection is distributed across three sites: the Heritage and Photography Media Library, the Masséna Museum, as well as in the collections of the Bibliothèque de Cessole and the headquarters of Editions Gilletta. The city of Nice is taking a new step in enhancing this heritage. It is committed to conducting conservation work on these ancient views, of inestimable heritage value.
To achieve this objective, the NOREA Group, owner of Editions Gilletta, is granting a loan to the city of Nice. The city will strive to highlight these exceptional photographs, now recognized as a valuable testament to the history of the Riviera in the early 20th century.
