I’ve had Paris Mon Amour for ages and it’s still one of my favorite coffee table books. I never tire of black and white photos of the old Paris and this book combines some of the most famous ones. But that isn’t the only thing this book offers. It’s also a splendid introduction to some of the most famous photographers like Henry-Cartier Bresson, Jeanloup Sieff or Robert Doisneau.
The pictures are grouped by themes – parcs, children, lovers, streets, life of ordinary people, fashion, war, cafés and bistros, jazz clubs.
The oldest photos are from 1910, the newest from the 80s.
Many of these photos are iconic. Many contributed to an idealized, mythical, and often clichéd idea of Paris, depicting things that are long gone.
This very famous photo was taken by Henri Cartier-Bresson and is very typical of his work.
This is another, lesser-known picture by Cartier-Bresson. Don’t you just love how the dog looks at the couple?
Jeanloup Sieff is better known for his nudes, but this shot from the Café de Flore, early in the morning, is among the most loved Paris photos.
This image of two lovers kissing, was taken by Robert Doisneau. I think I have at least two, if not three French novels whose covers show this picture.
This photo of two lovers kissing in the Jardin du Luxembourg, isn’t as famous but I think it’s lovely. It was taken by Édouard Boubat.
Some of the newest photos can be found in the chapter on fashion, but I chose this one from 1910. It reminds me of Proust. It’s called La mode au bois – Fashion at the Bois de Boulogne and was taken by Séeberger.
Juliette Gréco and Miles Davis at a Jazz Club, were photographed by Jean-Philippe Charbonnier.
This photo of the Jardin des Plantes is one of my favourites. The photographer is Philippe Gautrand.
And this beauty was shot by Sabine Weiss.
The editor Taschen is well-known for beautiful but very modestly prized books on art and photography. This one is no exception. It’s a large tome. As you can see, it’s almost the size of a bistro table, but doesn’t cost more than a paperback. An ideal book for Paris and photography lovers.