The Secret Paris of the '30s [Paperback]

Brassai (Author), Richard Miller (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

One of the most evocative photographic memoirs every published. It was known that Brassai had taken a series of 'secret photographs' which could not be published because of their daring nature - the forbidden Paris, a sordid bas-monde where high society mingled with the underworld.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...textbook example of candid photography being used as a tool for cultural investigation at the beginning of its golden age. -- New Republic

Brassaï's text is superb; his photographs are unforgettable. -- Virginia Quarterly Review

Offers . . . [a] peephole slant of Brassaï, the grungy 'forbidden' glamour that once made his books contraband. -- San Diego Union Tribune, Dan Elliot, 10 June 2001

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; New edition edition (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500271089
• ISBN-13: 978-0500271087
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing snapshot of a time long forgotten..., August 26, 2003

By 

P. Brady "PotatoMistress" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Secret Paris of the '30s (Paperback)

The photographs and stories in this book are truly remarkable. The underground world Brassai allows the reader to navigate is one that will leave a mark on your heart and tear at your soul. From lonely streetwalkers to the many faces of Parisian nightclubs, this amazing photographic journey gives a modern audience a true glimpse of what life was like in the 30s.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Views of Paris nightlife in the early 1930's, April 28, 2004

By 

PMI "Pete" (Milwaukee, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Secret Paris of the '30s (Paperback)

Divided into 19 sections, each including a short essay on one subject (ex.: The Street Fair) with accompanying illustrations. Photographs include full-page printed to the edge of the paper (unfortunately also to the spine of the book), full-page with border, half and quarter page. Copyrights on most of the the photographs, listed in an appendix, range from 1931-33, a few are 1934.

Most of the 150 photographs are very good duotone reproductions, a few are less than great. My copy is a softcover, publ. by Thames & Hudson, 2001, labeled Printed in Italy on the back cover.

The subjects range from public toilets and their various uses, through petty underworld figures, gay nightclubs, prostitutes and brothels, bums, to backstage at the Folie-Bergere and an upper-class opium den. One interesting section deals with the annual "Balls" (read orgies) organized by the Schools of Medicine and the Arts on the Left Bank for their students. All get a sympathetic and nonjudgemental treatment. Overall an fascinating, but fragmented glimpse of Paris night life in the early 30's.

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you don't have it - get it., September 8, 2001

By 

Tony Spadaro (chapel hill, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Paris of the '30s (Paperback)

Don't let the title put you off, there is very little in this book that would shock a modern audience. Times certainly ain't what they used to be. Brassai's photos and writings of a time now long gone however will slowly infuse in you a strange and somewhat uncomfortable nostalgia for a time long before you were born and places you wouldn't visit had you been born. Removed so far in time, it's all very safe - perhaps.