La Musique des Puces

1940–1945

Forges papers for the Resistance

From 1940 until the end of the war Doisneau used his skills as a draughtsman, letterer and engraver to forge passports and identity papers for the French Resistance.

1942

Birth of his daughter Annette

Doisneau's elder daughter Annette was born; from an early age she, like her younger sister, modelled for her father.

1942

Daughter born: Annette Doisneau

c. 1944

The album “Paris délivré par son peuple”

Around 1944 the Paris publisher Braun issued Doisneau's album “Paris délivré par son peuple” (“Paris Liberated by Its People”).

1945–1979

Portraits of Picasso, Braque, Léger, Cocteau and Giacometti

From the post-war years through the 1970s Doisneau produced children's books, advertising photography and celebrity portraits — Alberto Giacometti, Jean Cocteau, Fernand Léger, Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso. He worked with writers and poets such as Blaise Cendrars and Jacques Prévert, and credited Prévert with giving him the confidence to photograph everyday street scenes.

1946

Returns to Rapho for good

After the war Doisneau returned to freelance work, selling photographs to Life and other international magazines; he briefly joined the Alliance Photo agency but rejoined Rapho in 1946 and stayed with it throughout his working life, despite Henri Cartier-Bresson's invitation to join Magnum Photos.