“THE RICH SOCIAL FABRIC OF PARISIAN LIFE”

DOISNEAU, Robert. Robert Doisneau's Paris. (New York): Simon & Schuster, (1956). Quarto, original photographic French wraps over stiff paper boards. $400.

First American edition, Doisneau’s first major photobook published in the United States, with 148 finely screened photogravures, in fragile French wraps. From the collection of Doisneau’s onetime assistant, acclaimed photojournalist Peter Turnley.

"Working in a photographic tradition that includes the work of André Kertész, Brassaï and Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau specialized in images of the rich social fabric of Parisian life… His elegant black-white photographs seem the perfect embodiment of Gallic wit and romance" (New York Times). Robert Doisneau's Paris, his first major work published in the United States, includes a sequence on the "Mona Lisa," well-known images of Picasso (plate 117), Jacques Tati (plate 110), Yehudi Menuhin (plate 24), and one of Blaise Cendrars, who wrote this work's preface and that of Doisneau's first photobook, La Banlieu de Paris (1949). Like that landmark work Robert Doisneau's Paris is also "organized around topics," such as work, leisure and love: lyrically explored in 148 evocative black-and-white photogravures (Roth, 132). Scarce first American edition, preceded by 1955 French edition, Instantanés de Paris. Without very scarce glassine dust jacket. From the collection of award-winning photojournalist Peter Turnley, who once served as Doisneau's assistant and has since covered "almost every important international news event of the last 15 years" for Newsweek and Harper's Magazine (New York Times); signed by Turnley.

Images quite fresh, light wear to spine ends of bright French wraps. A highly desirable association copy, near-fine.