In 1938, Hélène Roger-Viollet and her husband, Jean Fischer, established “la Documentation Photographique Générale Roger-Viollet”, in a small store located 6 rue de Seine in Paris.

The original collections included the Léopold Mercier and Laurent Ollivier archives (acquired with the premises) as well as the life-work of two passionate amateur photographers, Henri and Ernest Roger, Hélène’s father and uncle.
Over the years, the agency acquired various collections composing a fabulous historical testimony: world events and small crafts, fine arts, science, politics and everyday life, exotic journeys and streets of Paris, portraits of celebrities as well as snapshots of unknown passers-by…

The collections also document over a century of photographic history : from the works of Ferrier-Soulier (French Second Empire’s fine arts), Neurdein & Lévy (historical and geographical reports - 1880 to 1918), Maurice-Louis Branger ( war and everyday life reports – 1900-1930), Pierre Choumoff (Russian immigration in Paris in the 20s and 30s), Jacques Boyer (political and scientific life), Albert Harlingue (French and Parisian life, 1910-1950) or Laure Albin-Guillot (fashion and advertising 1920-1960), to the portraits from the Boris Lipnitzki studio (performing arts from the 20s to the 70s)...