Paul De Cordon Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1908 - d. 1998

Paul de Cordon (1908–1998) was a French photographer known for his circus photographs. Paul de Cordon was born in Toulouse in to a Savoyan noble family. He was the son of a cavalry officer. During his childhood, he spent several years in Mainz, Germany, where his father was garrisoned. It was in Mainz that he began taking photographs using a small camera given to him by his father. Later, he said that he had spent long hours in the shop of an old German photographer, and that is how he began to learn photography. While he lived in Germany he became interested in the circus. In the 1920s, German circuses such as Althoff were travelling across the country with large crews and many animals.

After his Lycée years, he enrolled in the cavalry. In the army he spent most of his time training horses and riding in steeple chases and military cross. He participated to more than 500 races on various French and European race fields and sometimes won.

In 1940, during World War II, he was captured in the Ardennes. After two unsuccessful escape attempts, he was sent to Colditz. In 1945, the United States Army set him free. He stayed in the army for a few more months and was affected to the Cadre Noir in Saumur.[1]