Pierre Jahan was born in 1909 in Amboise and settled in Paris in 1932. Two encounters influenced his decision to become a professional photographer: Raymond Gid, the French illustrator, who managed a small advertising company at the time and entrusted him with his first commercial assignment, and French photographer Emmanuel Sougez, then chief picture editor at "L'Illustration" magazine. In 1934, Pierre Jahan's photographs were published in "Plaisirs de France", starting a collaboration which lasted until the magazine stopped publication in 1974. At the same time, he also started exhibiting together with Ergy Landau, Laure Albin Guillot, François Kollar, Rogi André, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Man Ray ... After being part of photographic group "Le Rectangle", Pierre Jahan joined Robert Doisneau, Willy Ronis and René-Jacques, among others, in the "Groupe des XV" association. His eclectic production included advertising and assignment photography, reportage – the 1937 Paris World Fair, the Occupation and Liberation of Paris, Paris by night, the post-war re-installation of the collections in the Louvre museum -, portraits, as well as a more personal work influenced by surrealism. Pierre Jahan died in Paris in 2003. Roger-Viollet is the exclusive worldwide distributor of Pierre Jahan's photographs.
View all images
