On a little street in Old Montreal, tucked behind the Château Ramezay Museum, a photo exhibition was recently installed. An homage of sorts to press photographer Jacques Nadeau. Jacques was a fixture in the Montreal photojournalism scene for over forty years, working mainly at the esteemed newspaper Le Devoir. He passed away too soon, in 2025.
Curated and commented with authority and expertise by another Le Devoir luminary, Jean-François Nadeau, the exhibition invites visitors to walk through decades of Quebec history as seen through Jacques' lens.
If you knew Jacques Nadeau like I and many others did, make sure to have a Kleenex in your pocket, tears can spontaneously fall as you look at these historic photographs and read the accompanying texts. In today's erratic and fleeting attention spans, seeing images that all Quebecers lived through over the past half century can bring back memories long buried and forgotten.
Jacques was singular in every aspect of his personality and his talent. Charismatic yet almost invisible, he had a rare gift for melting into the events unfolding before him, capturing truth without ever disturbing it. His photographs are not just documents, they are moments of grace, stolen from time.
This exhibition is a gift to Montreal, to Quebec, and to everyone who believes that a single image can carry the weight of history. Do not miss it.