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Casablanca, Morocco: The Street Photographer; by Robert Abitbol; Wednesday January 31st 2006, 5h 38 pm; (c) Robert Abitbol 2007
Photographers used to work in the streets of Paris and in other French towns and cities. This is a French import.
I have personally never seen them in Paris the times I visited the city (1962, 1964, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981) but I am told that they existed in the City of Lights around 1965. Apparently they don't exist anymore.
But I did see them in action Casablanca, circa 1963 and in 1973. We have a picture taken by a street photographer going as far back as 1950.
What do they do? They simply take a picture of pedestrians (without their permission :-)). Afterwards they hand the person(s) a card with an address and a number. That is the picture number. The person can choose to go to the address mentioned and to buy the picture. Or he/she can throw the card away: the picture won't be printed.
To my knowledge, the pictures were always in black and white; never in colour.
Despite the fact that the technology in those days did not enable people to film action scenes, the street photographers were able to do so.
We do have a picture of my parents, my aunt and my uncle walking together in Casablanca around 1950; a picture of my favourite uncle and myself walking in Casablanca in 1973 and a few others.
I asked a man who has been in Casablanca in the last months if this profession still existed. He replied to the negative.
Well this profession is now gone!
But older people will surely remember the Casablanca Street Photographers. And some will even regret not having their picture printed... :-)