Paris: Ronis

Humanist photographer Willy Ronis’s most iconic images of Paris are beautifully produced in this affordable volume.

Unparalleled in his ability to portray the Parisian joie de vivre, Willy Ronis captured sheer delight on the faces he photographed, from the Parisian gamin running with an oversized baguette to the cheerful Parisiennes behind the bakery counter and flower market kiosk, and from the dancers in full swing at a summer festival to a gaggle of children in a bumper car tangle. His images are iconic and varied, ranging from lovers embracing in front of the Eiffel Tower to graceful monuments softened by a gauzy fog to a determined factory worker protesting for her rights.

Parisian-born Ronis bought his first Rolleiflex camera in 1937 at the age of 27. He trained his camera on the working class neighborhoods of Belleville and Ménilmontant, and strolled the streets of his beloved city, capturing the essence of everyday life in Paris. He memorialized the urban landscape—a lamp-lit bridge or the leafy horse chestnut trees that border the Seine—and typical Parisians—in the metro, sunbathing on the Ile de la Cité, ice skating in the park.

This pocket volume of high-quality reproductions is a joyful tribute to Paris and the decorated photographer’s finest work.