What more can be said about the great Henri Cartier – Bresson that has not been said before. Known for “the decisive moment” with his incredible candid photography on the street and elsewhere, it turns out he was a pretty damn good maker of portraits. Unlike others of his generation, such as Arnold Newman, that specialized in the genre and used larger format cameras, HCB made his portraits of the famous and not so famous using a Leica, so the pictures have a different feel to them. Perhaps more fluid even though they were made in the subject’s environment as Newman and others did.

Tête à Tête is simply a wonderful book, containing almost 150 terrific black and white images (Have you ever seen an HCB picture that wasn’t stellar? Answer: No!).  The book is made all the more interesting because he sequenced the photographs himself rather than leaving that all important task to the editor, so we get further insight into the thinking of this very private photographer. Also of interest is the wonderful introduction by the great art historian E.H. Gombrich, accompanied by eight of HCB’s portrait sketches. Many younger readers may not be familiar with a number of the subjects captured in this tremendous book, but no matter, it is the pictures that count and the portraits are timeless!

I am lucky to own several of HCB’s books, including the recent incredible re-issue of the Decisive Moment.  While most would probably think the photographs contained in that landmark book and others such as Henri Cartier-Bresson: Photographer as his go to body of work, it would be a terribly remiss not to be aware of these important images.

It appears that Tête à Têteis still available new in hard cover, although it may be a different printing then my Bullfinch edition. What I can tell you is that the Bullfinch publication is beautifully printed. In any case, this is a book that belongs on every photographer’s bookshelf! Get it and enjoy!