Some of these pieces are quite rare and iconic, some are just beautiful. The craftsmanship, aesthetics and materials used are often sadly lost. They sure don’t make them like that anymore. Hence my passion for not only collecting but also to share the beauty.
A few years ago while talking to Philippe Bonnet about his huge collection of historical drug paraphenalia and packaging we spoke about how great it would be for more people to have some kind of access to the pieces. This led, of course, to a collaboration that has given me immense pleasure while also taking me out of my usual portraiture comfort zone.
Philippe Bonnet
Philippe is a long time harm reduction advocate whose day job sees him distributing naloxone, sterile injecting equipment and supporting people to reduce the possible harms of using drugs.
As well as being a collector of these historic pieces he is an ageing punk who is related to French resistance fighters (both giving an insight into his personality).
The Collection
Philippe’s collection is extensive and growing every month, so documenting it is a very long term project. So far we have well over 200 photos (a selection can be seen below).
The collection includes antique injecting equipment, pharmacy packaging, and even a full size original opium bed.
Both Philippe and I are interested in showing the collection and the photography to a wider audience (galleries, books, conferences). If this is something you would be interested in please contact me.
