Philippe Halsman

In New York in 1948, photographer Philippe Halsman had a chance meeting with Fernandel, a French movie star from the vaudeville tradition, and asked the actor to participate in a completely original photographic experiment. Halsman would ask Fernandel questions about America to which he would respond using only facial expressions. With his wide, lovable horse-face, Fernandel mimicked the answers to such questions as “Does the average Frenchman still pinch pretty girls in a crowd?” (silly grin) and “What was your reaction to the great American game of baseball?” (perplexed). Fernandel’s reactions are laugh-out-loud funny, and the book that resulted from this unusual collaboration is nothing short of wonderful. The Frenchman has been out of print for over fifty years, but TASCHEN’s reprint thankfully brings it back to life.