INSCRIBED BY ROBERT DOISNEAU TO HIS FORMER ASSISTANT, PHOTOJOURNALIST PETER TURNLEY

DOISNEAU, Robert. Paris, les passants qui passent. [Paris, People Passing By]. Paris: ARC Paris, 1979. Slim oblong quarto, original stiff photographic wrappers. $350.

First edition, exposition catalogue for a 1979 Paris retrospective, warmly inscribed on the title page to Doisneau’s former assistant, photojournalist Peter Turnley, “et le photographe les regardes passer pour timidement essayer des images passable. A Peter en tante complicite, Robert Doisneau” (And the photographer watches them pass in order to timidly attempt passable images. To Peter, in full complicity), with 40 memorable black-and-white photogravure plates.

A photographer whose images "seem the perfect embodiment of Gallic wit and romance" (New York Times), Robert Doisneau (1912-94) first brought a new perspective to the streets of Paris with La Banlieue de Paris (1949), a work defined by "his characteristic warmth and humanity," along with what became a lifelong interest in photographing his native city (Parr & Badger I:201). That passion illuminates Paris, les passants qui passent, affirmed by its cover image, taken from La Banlieue, and 39 additional photogravures. First edition, in French, with essays by Jean-Claude Lemagny and Suzanne Pagé, who curated the1979 exhibit at ARC Paris, commemorated in this scarce exhibition catalog. See Roth, 132. From the library of noted photojournalist Peter Turnley, who began his career as assistant to Doisneau, and has covered "almost every important international news event of the last 15 years" for Newsweek, Life and Harper's Magazine (New York Times).

Images clean and fresh, light soiling to fragile wrappers. A near-fine association copy, scarce inscribed.