ROBERT DOISNEAU

“You know, they always say that the photographer is a hunter of images. That is a flattering image, the idea of a hunter, it’s virile, acquired power. Actually though, it isn’t that. We are fishermen with hooks and lines.”

– Robert Doisneau

Somewhere there is a picture of Robert Doisneau outside my shop window when I ran Blackwell's Art & Poster Shop and I was overjoyed as he stood in front of my window display at the time of his exhibition at MOMA Oxford. He put me to the test with my schoolboy French and I struggled to communicate but between us we managed and the exhibition organiser often smiled at my clumsy attempts to communicate with my hero. It wasn't until later he explained too me that Parisians are notorious amongst the French for insisting upon talking in their native tongue. "Oh, he can speak perfect English,' he explained, 'he just won't!" 

I liked and admired him even more . . .  once my chagrin and embarrassment had died away!