Robert Doisneau: Paris Les Halles Market

by Robert Doisneau (Photographer)

Doisneau’s photographs evoke nostalgia for the days when the now vanished Les Halles market, "the belly of Paris," sprawled across the center of the city. From fur-clad socialites to burly market porters, Doisneau captured the essence of every brand of Parisian character and the poetry in ordinary a cheery fruit seller bellowing from behind a pyramid of oranges, a fish vendor haggling over the price of the daily catch, or a mountain of floral bouquets ready to grace Parisian dinner tables. This volume exhibits some of Doisneau’s lesser-known yet extraordinary works, including six rare color photographs. Publication coincides with the ongoing long-awaited redevelopment of this Parisian hub.

Genres: Photography

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2012

About the author

He was a French photographer. In the 1930s he used a Leica on the streets of Paris. He and Henri Cartier-Bresson were pioneers of photojournalism. He is renowned for his 1950 image Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville (Kiss by the Town Hall), a photograph of a couple kissing in the busy streets of Paris. Doisneau was appointed a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour in 1984.