Today a post on another forgotten photographer whose pictures are on many film star postcards, Gerard Decaux. This French glamour photographer was very busy during the 1950s and 1960s.
Martine Carol. German postcard by Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-2. Retail price: 30 Pfg. Photo: Gerard Decaux / UFA.
Sophia Loren. French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris. Photo: Gerard Decaux / UFA.
Jayne Mansfield. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/392. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
We could find only a bit of information about Gerard Decaux on the net, but many of his pictures are retraceable. The French photographer made glamorous photos of French but also German, Italian and American celebrities for dozens of record sleeves, star postcards and magazines like CinéMonde and Paris Match.
His celebrity photos were distributed by international news agencies like Camera Press in London. On the net we found such a picture, he made of Miss Freckles. This was a nickname for half Norwegian, half Spanish cabaret star Vida Bendix. Bendix had appeared in the BBC show Cafe Continental and in the Spanish film Minutos antes/Minutes before (José Luis Gamboa, 1956).
Miss Freckles suddenly became news when she had been left a fortune after a lieutenant-commander Martin Solomon died mysteriously in his room in Madrid. The flip side of the press photo mentions that Solomon and Bendix were married in March 1956, a fact which was known only to a few people.
Johnny Hallyday. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/228. Photo: Gérard Decaux.
Jean Marais. German postcard by Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft (UFA), Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-27. Retail price: 30 Pfg. Photo: Gerard Decaux / UFA.
Jean-Paul Belmondo. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/345. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Jean-Pierre Cassel. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/393. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Yves Montand. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/394. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Another wonderful photo by Gerard Decaux I found on the net is a 1965 picture of American film star Kim Novak with a Kodak Instamatic before her beautiful face. Decaux visited Montmartre with her and he clicked when she was photographing the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. Wonderful.
Auction sites show that Decaux was also active as a fashion photographer, e.g. one of Marie-Helene Ariaud, photo model for Chanel, looking in a mirror. He also made wonderful street photos, e.g. a series at the Gare du Lyon, which was auctioned in 2013.
IMDb mentions that Gerard Decaux once appeared in a film, Saint Tropez Blues (1961), written and directed by Marcel Moussy. The film starred singer Marie Laforêt. Decaux also photographed her for a sleeve of one of her records and for the postcard below.
I really like Decaux' more wild and imaginative pictures like the one of the Kessler Twins: jumping and laughing in white bikinis in the open air. The picture was used by Polydor for the sleeve of their EP Roulette and for the German Krüger postcard here below.
Another crazy star photo is the one of American actress Yvette Mimieux climbing in a tree, which was also used by Krüger for a postcard. There are so many Krüger postcards with pictures by Gerard Decaux. Enjoy them!
Marie Laforêt. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/344. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Yvette Mimieux. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/370. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Alice & Ellen Kessler. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/199. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Susanne Cramer. German postcard by UFA (Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft) Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-63. Retail price: 30 Pfg. Photo: Gerard Decaux / UFA.
Claudia Mori. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/342. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Yvonne Monlaur. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/395. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Catherine Franck. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/339. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Mireille Darc. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/197. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Mylène Demongeot. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/326. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Check out our other posts on film star photographers. See the links at right under the caption 'The Photographers'.
Sources: Artnet, Encyclopédisque, eBay, and IMDb.
Martine Carol. German postcard by Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-2. Retail price: 30 Pfg. Photo: Gerard Decaux / UFA.
Sophia Loren. French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris. Photo: Gerard Decaux / UFA.
Jayne Mansfield. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/392. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Miss Freckles
We could find only a bit of information about Gerard Decaux on the net, but many of his pictures are retraceable. The French photographer made glamorous photos of French but also German, Italian and American celebrities for dozens of record sleeves, star postcards and magazines like CinéMonde and Paris Match.
His celebrity photos were distributed by international news agencies like Camera Press in London. On the net we found such a picture, he made of Miss Freckles. This was a nickname for half Norwegian, half Spanish cabaret star Vida Bendix. Bendix had appeared in the BBC show Cafe Continental and in the Spanish film Minutos antes/Minutes before (José Luis Gamboa, 1956).
Miss Freckles suddenly became news when she had been left a fortune after a lieutenant-commander Martin Solomon died mysteriously in his room in Madrid. The flip side of the press photo mentions that Solomon and Bendix were married in March 1956, a fact which was known only to a few people.
Johnny Hallyday. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/228. Photo: Gérard Decaux.
Jean Marais. German postcard by Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft (UFA), Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-27. Retail price: 30 Pfg. Photo: Gerard Decaux / UFA.
Jean-Paul Belmondo. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/345. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Jean-Pierre Cassel. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/393. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Yves Montand. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/394. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Saint Tropez Blues
Another wonderful photo by Gerard Decaux I found on the net is a 1965 picture of American film star Kim Novak with a Kodak Instamatic before her beautiful face. Decaux visited Montmartre with her and he clicked when she was photographing the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. Wonderful.
Auction sites show that Decaux was also active as a fashion photographer, e.g. one of Marie-Helene Ariaud, photo model for Chanel, looking in a mirror. He also made wonderful street photos, e.g. a series at the Gare du Lyon, which was auctioned in 2013.
IMDb mentions that Gerard Decaux once appeared in a film, Saint Tropez Blues (1961), written and directed by Marcel Moussy. The film starred singer Marie Laforêt. Decaux also photographed her for a sleeve of one of her records and for the postcard below.
I really like Decaux' more wild and imaginative pictures like the one of the Kessler Twins: jumping and laughing in white bikinis in the open air. The picture was used by Polydor for the sleeve of their EP Roulette and for the German Krüger postcard here below.
Another crazy star photo is the one of American actress Yvette Mimieux climbing in a tree, which was also used by Krüger for a postcard. There are so many Krüger postcards with pictures by Gerard Decaux. Enjoy them!
Marie Laforêt. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/344. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Yvette Mimieux. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/370. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Alice & Ellen Kessler. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/199. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Susanne Cramer. German postcard by UFA (Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft) Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-63. Retail price: 30 Pfg. Photo: Gerard Decaux / UFA.
Claudia Mori. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/342. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Yvonne Monlaur. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/395. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Catherine Franck. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/339. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Mireille Darc. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/197. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Mylène Demongeot. German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/326. Photo: Gerard Decaux.
Check out our other posts on film star photographers. See the links at right under the caption 'The Photographers'.
Sources: Artnet, Encyclopédisque, eBay, and IMDb.
1 comment:
Sp many wonderful and famous pictures. I had no idea they were all taken by Decaux.
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