Laborde, Chas - Bridget McDonnell Gallery

Chas Laborde

1886-1941

Charles Laborde was born on 8th August 1886 in Buenos Aires, to French parents. His family returned to France when he was six months old.

On his father's death in 1901 Laborde was sent away to school at Pau where he spent most of his time drawing his fellow pupils. He enrolled at the Academie Julian where he was taught by Royer and Baschet.

At the outbreak of war in 1914 Laborde volunteered and served as a machine gunner. In 1917 he was gassed and invalided out of the army.

In 1926 he published an album of etchings entitled Rues et Visages de Paris, which with great verve and humour depicted a variety of typical scenes of everyday Parisian life .The twenty plates took Laborde four months to complete. He made many quick sketches on the spot and immediately on his return to the studio he tried out his composition in pencil or pen. The next day, in daylight, he would make a tracing of it, sometimes leaning on one of the studio windows. If he was not satisfied with the result he would go back to his original sketches and correct a face, an attitude or a whole scene. Only then did he etch the copper plate. The album met with considerable success and gave Laborde the idea of undertaking similar study of other capital cities.

With this in mind he made two visits to London in spring and summer of 1927, doing many sketches of London street life. He was delighted to rediscover the contrasting spectacles offered by the various areas of London, the distinctive traits of different social classes and the parks in the middle of the city which provided a refuge from the milling crowds. Rues et Visages de London was published in 1928 and followed in 1930 by Rues et Visages de Berlin.

Laborde's reputation was spreading further afield and in the spring of 1932 he went to New York at the invitation of Condé Nast publications. From the first he was fascinated by the great variety of ethnic groupings and by the night-life of Broadway. He produced 15 plates for Vanity Fair and returned home with a dozen sketch books full of drawings which were later used for his Rues et Visages de New York published posthumously. refer Parkin Fine Art, London