FIAP

https://www.fiap.net/en

"The year 1950 will remain engraved as a famous year in the chronicle of photography", those are the words of introduction of Dr. Maurice VAN DE WIJER, spiritual father and life leader of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), at the opportunity of the opening of the constitutive Congress of FIAP that took place in Berne (Switzerland) from 17th to 19th June 1950.

- With these words, Dr. VAN DE WIJER was indeed right, but before being able to proceed to the official act of the foundation of FIAP, the steps were numerous. In 1891 already, the idea of an international organization of the photographic movement comes up. There arises at that time a real enthusiasm, but more animated with excellent intentions than with a real activity, the International Photographic Union is going to sink in the storm of the first world war. Dr. M. VAN DE WIJER, by profession a physician, but also a football and photography fanatic, is one of the first in the world to recognize in photography an ideal approach for friendly international contacts. Member of the "Royal Circle of Photographic and Scientific Studies of Antwerp" (Cercle Royal d'Etudes Photographiques et Scientifiques d'Anvers) (Belgium) from 1918, he participates successfully in many international photographic salons and he makes the acquaintance of a great number of foreign photographers and leaders of photographic associations. As physician of the Belgian national team of football, he profits from his travels abroad to make, as would a pilgrim, contacts with photographer friends worldwide.

The idea of an international photographic federation is born in his mind; it is finally in 1946 that Dr. M. VAN DE WIJER takes the initiative to found, in the interest of photography, a world organization conceived on the modern basis of assembly of peoples. He contacts Ernest BOESIGER (Switzerland), tells him of his idea and offers him the secretary of FIAP named initially International Union of Photographic Societies, then International Council of Photographic Art and finally International Federation of Photographic Art. One can tell that FIAP exists truly since the beginning of 1947, with M. VAN DE WIJER as founder-president and E. BOESIGER as secretary.