Dominique Darbois
Encyclopedia
Dominique Darbois is a French photojournalist and author, noted for her studies of exotic locales, artifacts, children, and primitive peoples. She was born in Paris on April 5, 1925, and lives there today. During the Second World War was active in the Free French Forces
. She was imprisoned for two years in the Cité de Muette housing estate in Drancy
near Paris, which had become an internment camp. On liberation in 1944 received the Croix de Guerre
for her work with the French Resistance
.
In 1946 she began photographing professionally, beginning with journalistic work in Cambodia
. From 1949 to the present, she has photographed throughout the world, including Laos, Indonesia, USSR, Australia, Mexico, Guatemala, Algeria, Iran, and the Congo. In 1952, she received the “Prix Exploration” from the President of the French Republic.
In the course of her many voyages, Darbois has often declared herself annoyed with "le colonialisme européen," and has involved herself with "anti-colonialist struggles" in Indochina, Algeria, and Cuba. During the Algerian period, she involved herself with the Jeanson network (Réseau Jeanson).
From 1952 through 1978, she completed 20 books for the collection Les Enfants du Monde [Children of the World], with the publishing group Fernand Nathan in Paris. These books are typically oversize quarto volumes featuring candid black-and-white photographs of children of various races and nationalities, often naked or scantily attired. Titles include "Agossou, le petit Africain" ("Agossou, the little African", published in English as "Agossou, a Boy of Africa" and "Agossou: His Life in Africa"); "Faouzi: Boy of Egypt," "Natacha, Girl of Russia," and "Nick in Tahiti." Beyond the juvenile market, she has published books about Amazon Indians, African sculpture, Chinese landscape painting, Egyptian art, and Oriental carpets. In the late 1960s she did a number of publications of her work on Afghanistan art, including L’Afghanistan et son art (Editions Cercle d’Art, Paris, 1968), and Afghanistan und Seine Kunst (Artia Press, Prague, 1968).
Darbois had her first solo exhibition during 1951 in Paris. Since 1984, she has had numerous exhibitions of her African photography and her work on women of different cultures. In the late 1990s, she did a major exhibition on women called Regards de Femmes.
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
. She was imprisoned for two years in the Cité de Muette housing estate in Drancy
Drancy
Drancy is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 10.8 km from the center of Paris.- Toponomy :...
near Paris, which had become an internment camp. On liberation in 1944 received the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
for her work with the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
.
In 1946 she began photographing professionally, beginning with journalistic work in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. From 1949 to the present, she has photographed throughout the world, including Laos, Indonesia, USSR, Australia, Mexico, Guatemala, Algeria, Iran, and the Congo. In 1952, she received the “Prix Exploration” from the President of the French Republic.
In the course of her many voyages, Darbois has often declared herself annoyed with "le colonialisme européen," and has involved herself with "anti-colonialist struggles" in Indochina, Algeria, and Cuba. During the Algerian period, she involved herself with the Jeanson network (Réseau Jeanson).
From 1952 through 1978, she completed 20 books for the collection Les Enfants du Monde [Children of the World], with the publishing group Fernand Nathan in Paris. These books are typically oversize quarto volumes featuring candid black-and-white photographs of children of various races and nationalities, often naked or scantily attired. Titles include "Agossou, le petit Africain" ("Agossou, the little African", published in English as "Agossou, a Boy of Africa" and "Agossou: His Life in Africa"); "Faouzi: Boy of Egypt," "Natacha, Girl of Russia," and "Nick in Tahiti." Beyond the juvenile market, she has published books about Amazon Indians, African sculpture, Chinese landscape painting, Egyptian art, and Oriental carpets. In the late 1960s she did a number of publications of her work on Afghanistan art, including L’Afghanistan et son art (Editions Cercle d’Art, Paris, 1968), and Afghanistan und Seine Kunst (Artia Press, Prague, 1968).
Darbois had her first solo exhibition during 1951 in Paris. Since 1984, she has had numerous exhibitions of her African photography and her work on women of different cultures. In the late 1990s, she did a major exhibition on women called Regards de Femmes.