Robert Giraud (November 21, 1921 – January 17, 1997), was a French journalist, poet and

lexicographer Lexicography is the study of lexicons and the art of compiling dictionaries. It is divided into two separate academic disciplines: * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionary, dictionaries. * The ...

. He is the author of over 30 books and subject of the 2009 biography ''Monsieur Bob'' by

Olivier Bailly Olivier is the French form of the given name Oliver. It may refer to: * Olivier (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Olivier (surname), a list of people * Château Olivier, a Bordeaux winery *Olivier, Louisiana, a rural popula ...

Early years

Robert Giraud lived his childhood and youth in Limoges. He followed his education in lycée Gay-Lussac and began to study law. He was arrested and imprisoned by the Nazis only to escape the death sentence thanks to the liberation of the city by the forces of Colonel

Georges Guingouin Georges Guingouin (2 February 1913, Magnac-Laval in Haute-Vienne, France – 27 October 2005, Troyes, France) was a French Communist Party (PCF) militant who played a leading role in the French resistance as head of the Maquis du Limousin. He was ...

. In 1944 he became editor of the newspaper ''Unir (Unite)'', join the

French Resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

and went to Paris with the editorial team which included the journalist and future editor René Rougeri.

Paris

In Paris he quickly became a regular at the bar ''l'Institut'' run by Mr. Fraysse where be befriended the regulars including

Maximilien Vox Maximilien Vox (real name: Samuel William Théodore Monod) was a French writer, cartoonist, illustrator, publisher, journalist, critic art theorist and historian of the French letter and typography. He was born on 16 December 1894 in Condé-sur- ...

, the Prévert brothers (Pierre and

Jacques Prévert Jacques Prévert (; 4 February 1900 – 11 April 1977) was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. His best-regarded films formed part of the Poetic realism, poetic ...

), Albert Vidalie,

Maurice Baquet Maurice Louis Baquet (26 May 1911 – 8 July 2005) was a French actor and cellist. He was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône and died in Noisy-le-Grand.Robert Doisneau Robert Doisneau (; 14 April 1912 – 1 April 1994) was a French photographer. From the 1930s, he photographed the streets of Paris. He was a champion of humanist photography and, with Henri Cartier-Bresson, a pioneer of photojournalism. D ...

. Giraud works for antiquarian 'Romi' whose shop by the Seine was frequented by

Robert Doisneau Robert Doisneau (; 14 April 1912 – 1 April 1994) was a French photographer. From the 1930s, he photographed the streets of Paris. He was a champion of humanist photography and, with Henri Cartier-Bresson, a pioneer of photojournalism. D ...

, who made a series of photos there, and police inspector and future historian Jacques Delarue. He contributed to

Franc-Tireur (; ) were irregular military formations deployed by France during the early stages of the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71). The term was revived and used by partisans to name two major French Resistance movements set up to fight against Nazi G ...

Paris-Presse ''Paris-Presse'' was a French newspaper published in Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in ...

France-Soir ''France Soir'' () was a French newspaper that prospered in physical format during the 1950s and 1960s, reaching a circulation of 1.5 million in the 1950s. It declined rapidly under various owners and was relaunched as a populist tabloid in 2006 ...

and

Détective ''Détective'' is a 1985 French crime film directed by Jean-Luc Godard. It was entered into the 1985 Cannes Film Festival. The film won the Georges Delerue Award for Best Soundtrack/Sound Design at Film Fest Gent in 1985. Plot In a room of a g ...

, before he turned to earning a meager living as a book seller alongside other future writers including

Michel Ragon Michel Ragon (24 June 1924 – 14 February 2020) was a French art and literature critic and writer. His primary focus was on anarchic and libertarian literature. Biography Ragon was born into a poor family on 24 June 1924 in Marseille, but spen ...

before his successful career as a novelist and art critic and the journalists

Pierre Mérindol Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

and

Jean-Paul Clébert Jean-Paul Clébert (born 23 February 192621 September 2011) was a French writer. Biography Before completing his studies in a Jesuit college, Jean-Paul Clébert left to join the French Resistance in 1943 at the age of 16. After the liberati ...

(author of ''Paris insolite/Unknown Paris''). From the liberation until the mid-1950s Robert Giraud lived a meager material existence but this proved to be a very rewarding time for his work. He visited and befriended many homeless people (or ''clochards'' as referred to in French), pimps, prostitutes and eccentric former convicts who inhabited various unknown areas of Paris near Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Place Maubert, the rue Mouffetard or Halles. He brought his friend

to explore this underworld which led to a beautiful series of portraits of unusual Parisian characters. Giraud immersed himself in the culture of the ''clochards'' and was fascinated by everything from the unusual tattoos to unique slang. He famously described them as follows: From 1943 to 1958 he published five poetry collections, the last with a preface by

André Salmon André Salmon (4 October 1881, Paris – 12 March 1969, Sanary-sur-Mer) was a French poet, art critic and writer. He was one of the early defenders of Cubism, with Guillaume Apollinaire and Maurice Raynal. Biography André Salmon was born i ...

. His first non-poetry book ''Les Tatouages du milieu'' appeared in 1950 co-authored with Jacques Delarue. In 1955 his masterpiece, ''Le Vin des rues'', appeared, it won the

prix Rabelais Prix was an American power pop band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1975 by Tommy Hoehn and Jon Tiven. The group ended up primarily as a studio project. Its recordings were produced by Tiven along with former Big Star member Chris Bell, who al ...

and established Girard as the preeminent chronicler and lucid witness of destitute Parisians. This legendary book is an unparalleled work of poetic reportage capturing an unusual and exciting Paris that has disappeared today. His unique knowledge of this underworld gave him the opportunity to work with the young director

Alain Jessua Alain Jessua (16 January 1932 – 30 November 2017) was a French film director and screenwriter. He directed ten films between 1956 and 1997. He worked as assistant director for Jacques Becker on the set of ''Casque d'or'', with Max Ophüls ...

on his first film ''

Léon la lune ''Léon la lune'' () is a 1956 French short documentary film directed by Alain Jessua. The film won the Prix Jean Vigo in 1957. The film documents an old drifter in Paris in the ''poetic realist'' style. Jessua was inspired by Jean-Paul Cléber ...

'' (1956) and with the photographer

Irving Penn Irving Penn (June 16, 1917October 7, 2009) was an American photographer known for his fashion photography, portraits, and still lifes. Penn's career included work at ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'' magazine, and independent advertising work for clie ...

for a series of photos published in ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

''. The critical success of this book was followed by other stories followed like ''La Route mauve'' (1959), ''La Petite Gamberge'' (1961) and ''La Coupure'' (1966), that further established Giraud as a brilliant specialist in slang and Parian bistro culture. Like

Albert Simonin Albert Simonin (1905–1980) was a French novelist and scriptwriter. He was born in the La Chapelle quarter of the 18th arrondissement of Paris. His father was a florist. Albert was orphaned by the age of 16.''Paris Match'' No.3134 11–17 June 200 ...

, Auguste Le Breton or Alphonse Boudard he published reference books on slang used by people of the underworld and prostitutes whom he befriended.

Later life

Robert Giraud always lived among the people of Paris. He never wanted to climb the social ladder and always lived freely. He never received a salary of his life. He died surrounded by many friends, but destitute in 1997. He was cremated at the cemetery of Père-Lachaise. In 2009 ''Monsieur Bob'' (Stock, 2009) a biography by

was published. The photographer and historian Jean-Claude Gautrand described Girard's close relationship with

, as follows "He's a photographer of Paris by the word, Doisneau is a writer from Paris by the picture."

Bibliography

*''Confessions au jardin'', Société intellectuelle du Centre, 1943 *''Couronne de vent'', Les écrits libres, 1945 *''Les Tatouages du ″milieu″'', la Roulotte, 1950, with 80 tattoo designs by Jacques Delarue. *''Les Tatouages du ″milieu″'', l'Oiseau de Minerve, 1999 (Reissue. Jacques Delarue, Robert Giraud; inset with 80 photographs by

& 80 tattoo designs by Jacques Delarue.) *''Interdit au cœur'', Osmose, 195, with preface by

*''Les Parisiens tels qu'ils sont'',

Robert Delpire Robert Delpire (24 January 1926 – 26 September 2017) was an art Publishing, publisher, Editing, editor, curator, film producer and graphic designer who lived and worked in Paris. He predominantly concerned himself with documentary photography, ...

, 1953, texts and commentary by Robert Giraud and Michel Ragon. Photographs by

*''Le Vin des rues'', Denoël, 1955, Prix Rabelais; (Reissued with photographs by

, 1983 and without photographs by Stock, ''Collection Écrivins'', preface by Philippe Claudel, 2009) *''L'Enfant chandelier'', Rougerie, 1958, with illustrations by Pierre Giraud. *''La Route Mauve'', Denoël, 1959 *''Bistrots'', Photographs by Robert Doisneau, Le Point, 1960, with ''Gravures sur le zinc'', poem by

*''La Petite Gamberge'', Denoël, 1961 *''Les Cris de Paris'', 1961, with etchings by

Lars Bo Lars Bo (29 May 1924 in Kolding – 21 October 1999 in Paris) was a Danish artist and writer. He is known for his graphic works with surrealistically inspired fantastic motifs. He was nicknamed "Wizard". Early life and education Lars Bo worked ...

*''Réservé à la Correspondance'', Denoël, 1965 *''Le Royaume d'Argot'', Denoël, 1965, with photographs by

*''La Coupure'', Denoël, 1966 *''Petite Flore Argotique'', Halévy, 1968, with drawings by Gilles Sacksick *''Le Royaume secret du Milieu'', Planète, 1969 *''L'Académie d'Argot'', Denoël, 1971, with drawings by Moisan *''L'Argot tel qu'on le parle'', Jacques Grancher, 1981 *''Carrefour Buci'', Le Dilettante, 1987 *''Les Lumières du zinc'', Le Dilettante, 1988 *''Fleurir la ville'', 1988 with etchings by

*''L'Argot du bistrot'', Marval, 1989, illustrated with 31 unpublished photographs by

Édouard Boubat Édouard Boubat (; 13 September 1923 – 30 June 1999) was a French photojournalist and art photographer. Life and work Boubat was born in Montmartre, Paris. He studied typography and graphic arts at the École Estienne and worked for a printi ...

, Denise Colomb, François Coumert &

(Reissued with no photographs, ''Collection La Petite Vermillon'', preface by

Sébastien Lapaque Sébastien Lapaque (born 2 February 1971) is a French writer. Awards *2000 : Prix François Mauriac de l'Académie française *2002 : Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle, ''Mythologie Française'' *2004 : Prix James-Hennessy Works Novels *''Les Barri ...

, 2010) *''L'Argot d'Éros'', Marval, 1992 *''Faune et flore argotiques'', Le Dilettante, 1993 *''L'argot de la "Série noire"'', vol. 1, L'argot des traducteurs, Joseph K, st al. «Temps Noir», 1996, with Pierre Ditalia; foreword by

Patrick Raynal Patrick may refer to: *Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name *Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People *Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick or ...

. *''Paris mon pote'', Le Dilettante, May 2008, preface by Olivier Bailly

Works in English translation

*''Illustrated Dictionary of Modern Slang: L'Argot Tel Qu'on Le Parle : Dictionnaire Illustre De L'Argot Moderne'', French & European Pubns (December 1981)

References

*''Monsieur Bob'' (Stock, 2009) by Olivier Bailly *''Irving Penn: Small Trades''; ublished in Conjunction with the Exhibition Held at the J. Paul Getty Museum from September 9, 2009, to January 10, 2010* :fr:Robert Giraud * L'Humanité obituary, 22 January 1997, https://www.humanite.fr/node/157570

Notes

External links

*Robert Giraud, scénariste d’Alain Jessua, Le Monde blog, 1 January 2007, https://web.archive.org/web/20120513083221/http://robertgiraud.blog.lemonde.fr/2007/01/01/robert-giraud-scenariste-dalain-jessua/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Giraud, Robert 1921 births 1997 deaths French Resistance members French lexicographers 20th-century French poets French male poets 20th-century French male writers French male non-fiction writers 20th-century French journalists 20th-century lexicographers People from Haute-Vienne