Les Enfants qui s'aiment... (Children who Love...)
L'Enseigne, Paris (The Sign)
Les Enfants qui s'aiment... (Children who Love...)
Les Enfants qui s'aiment... (Children who Love...)
Tree Study in Snow along Seine, Paris
"Celui qui n'a plus d'ennuis d'argent..." (He who has more money troubles..)
Le "Bus", Paris
"Celui qui a encore des ennuis d'argent..." (The one who still has money troubles..)
Man Sitting under a Bridge, Paris
Les Enfants qui s'aiment... (Children who Love...)
Born October 21,1912 in Paris, Maurice George Chanu lived and worked primarily in that city for most of his life. In 1948, he put together a photo album to illustrate the lyrics of the popular French song "La Seine", which won the Grand Prix de la Chanson Francaise in 1948.
Chanu's work echoes several other photographers, including Brassai's Paris Nuit work and Jindrich Styrsky's signage and posters, but he created his own unique view of the world—no matter that it was limited primarily to Paris, as was Atget's before him. Chanu's strong modernist eye captured Paris and its winding river from the sparkling light of dawn to work-a-day activities and finally the romantic evening calm.
Chanu worked with a 4 x 5 camera with Dager lens, often using magnesium flares to light his night shots. He had a distinctive logo stamp for his last name, which he used on the verso of some of his prints.
Maurice Georges Chanu: Circulation (Movement), Paris
The photographer was also an inventor of optical instruments including a scope and something called an épiscope comparator, which was used by police for reading fingerprints.
Chanu was very active in the photographic salons of France and abroad. He entered prints in 1940s and 1950s salons, including the Societe Lorraine de Photographie & Cinematographie, Nancy; the Photo-Cine-Club of Dieppe (the 1st and 2nd Franco-Canadian exposition); the Exposition d'Art Photographique, Meudon; Amicale-Photo, Roubaix; Salon National d'Art Photographique de Gueret; Photo-Club de Clichy's Salon d'Art Photographique; and Art Photographique by the Centre Photographique de l'Etat Rheno-Palatin.
He accepted many first prizes, including that of the 21st Concours International of Photo-Cinema -- Member of the Jury of the Coupe de France.
Chanu died on April 9, 1985 in Puerto Pollensa Baleares, Spain.
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