The First Time I Saw Paris : Photographs and Memories from the City of Light
- Book Review,
by PETER MILLER, STANLEY KARNOW (Introduction)
From Booklist
All beautiful women do not necessarily photograph well, but Paris responds to the camera's eye as beautifully as it does to the naked human one. Noted photographer Miller has gathered into this album many of his shots of the City of Light that he took while serving there as an Army Signal Corps photographer after World War II. As he relates in the textual accompaniment to his photos, he took the official ones he was required to take, but on his own time he snapped shots of real Parisian life in the streets. His admonition to "look into [any] photographer's soul [because] hidden in there someplace is Paris" certainly plays out in his case. And, further, "photographers do not sit around in cafes writing in notebooks; they are out in the streets, making photographs, and so this is what I did." His images reflect an understanding of 1950s life as the war mode was left behind and a joie de vivre was again claimed as the right of all Parisians. Brad Hooper
Book Description
The First Time I Saw Paris is a sumptuous visual indulgence -- 150 photographs from a distinguished photographer memorably capturing the life and the people of Paris in the 50's.
As a serviceman in Paris after World War II, Peter Miller served as a US Army Signal Corps photographer. By day, he would snap one-star generals greeting four-star generals, and the innumerable grip and grins of Congressmen visiting soldiers. By night, Miller traversed the city of light, capturing the resilient spirit of Parisians in the wake of the devastating war. Miller's photographs reflect the vision of a sparkling city while his recollections document the wonder and enchantment felt by a young man from Vermont. From pictures of the Latin Quarter brimming with American jazz and blues to alluring models on the runways of Christian Dior; from romantic courtships in the streets to hobos along the River Seine, Miller captures these sights and impressions in dynamic compositions and sensitive recollections that are striking, compassionate, and a joy to all lovers of the city of light.
From the Inside Flap
The First Time I Saw Paris is a sumptuous visual indulgence -- 150 photographs from a distinguished photographer memorably capturing the life and the people of Paris in the 50's.
As a serviceman in Paris after World War II, Peter Miller served as a US Army Signal Corps photographer. By day, he would snap one-star generals greeting four-star generals, and the innumerable grip and grins of Congressmen visiting soldiers. By night, Miller traversed the city of light, capturing the resilient spirit of Parisians in the wake of the devastating war. Miller's photographs reflect the vision of a sparkling city while his recollections document the wonder and enchantment felt by a young man from Vermont. From pictures of the Latin Quarter brimming with American jazz and blues to alluring models on the runways of Christian Dior; from romantic courtships in the streets to hobos along the River Seine, Miller captures these sights and impressions in dynamic compositions and sensitive recollections that are striking, compassionate, and a joy to all lovers of the city of light.
About the Author
Peter Miller began his photographic career in 1953, assisting Yousuf Karsh. He began his career as a writer later that decade, reporting for Life. He lives in Waterbury, Vermont and is the author of five books including Vermont People and People of the Great Plains
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