Brassai: The House of Illusion from "Paris by Night", 1933.

Source:
Fine Art Photography Gallery & Forum: Brassai:
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Gaito Gazdanov's Paris / 20

The Britisher

One customer, a Britisher who seemed very preoccupied and busy, stopped me one day on the Champs-Élysées and asked in English – he couldn’t imagine anyone not understanding him – for someplace where he could meet pretty women.

After I gave him an answer he climbed into the car and snapped “Let’s go there.” On our arrival he asked me to wait. Ten minutes later was already back and had me drive him to his hotel, very close by. The whole episode didn’t take more than 25 minutes.

He paid me; a strange smile passed across his face at the last minute as he shot me a “Merci”, probably the only word of French that he knew. [84-85]