Young Parisienne immortalised by photographer Robert Doisneau kissing her lover in a busy street in 1950 dies aged 93
- Le baiser de l'hotel de ville (Kiss by the City Hall) showed Francoise Delbart
- Was kissing Jacques Carteaud in scene set up by photographer Robert Doisneau
It was an image of romance which defined an era in the city of love.
What became known as Le baiser de l'hotel de ville (Kiss by the City Hall) showed young Parisienne Francoise Delbart in a clinch with her lover Jacques Carteaud.
The picture was taken by photographer Robert Doisneau in 1950, as France was recovering from the horrors of the Second World War.
Now, more than 70 years on, it has emerged that actress Ms Delbart, whose married name was Bornet, passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 93.
Doisneau, who became famous for his chronicling of Paris street life, had initially spotted a pair of drama students embracing in a Left Bank cafe in April 1950.
It was an image of romance which defined an era in the city of love. What became known as Le baiser de l'hotel de ville (Kiss by the City Hall) showed young Parisienne Francoise Delbart in a clinch with her lover Jacques Carteaud
Now, more than 70 years on, it has emerged that actress Ms Delbart, whose married name was Bornet, passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 93. Above: Ms Delbart holding the famous picture in the same spot in 2005
He then got Ms Delbart, then aged 20, to re-enact the kiss for a shoot commissioned by American magazine Life to show the return of romance to post-war Paris.
The black and white shot subsequently appeared in the popular magazine but was then forgotten until 1986, when a poster company re-discovered it and turned it into a global hit.
By the 1990s, it adorned hundreds of thousands of posters, as well as postcards and even tea towels and chocolate boxes.
The identity of the subjects remained a mystery, with many believing that they were snapped at random by Doisneau.
A series of couples came forward to claim they were the lovers in the image.
Among them were Jeal-Louis and Denise Lavergne, who filed a suit in 1992.
That claim prompted Ms Delbart to come forward with a signed original print from Doisneau, proving she was the woman in the photo.
The picture was taken by photographer Robert Doisneau in 1950, as France was recovering from the horrors of the Second World War
Furious, she also took legal action and demanded Fr100,000 as a share of the profits generated by the use of the image.
Although a court rejected both suits, Doisneau confirmed that Ms Delbart and Mr Carteaud had been the lovers and that they had willingly posed for him.
He said before he died in 1994: 'I would never have dared to photograph people like that. Lovers kissing in the street, those couples are rarely legitimate.'
In 2014, French-American man Marc de Mauregne claimed that he was one half of the pictured couple.
'I recognized myself, my hair,' the then 87-year-old said.
'I think we were going to the movies. The lady was a friend who used to live in my street in Paris. Her name was Rolande Dupuis.'
However, his claim that the image was taken in 1945 or 1946 was at odds with the verified date of the photo.
Ms Delbart's romance with Mr Carteaud did not last long. She later said: 'Jacques looked a bit like Burt Lancaster. We split up when he met someone else and we lost touch.'
He went on to become a wine producer and died in 2006.
Ms Delbart, who appeared in several France films in the 1950s and 1960s, married Alain Bornet, a director and screenwriter, in 1962.
The couple had no children and Mr Bornet died a decade ago.
Ms Delbart, who appeared in several France films in the 1950s and 1960s, married Alain Bornet, a director and screenwriter, in 1962. Above: The couple in 2005
Ms Delbart sold her original print of the famous picture for €155,000 in 2005.
She said in 2022: 'I was with my boyfriend. We didn’t stop kissing … Robert Doisneau asked us to pose for him.
'We did a series of snapshots. They appeared in Life magazine but no one paid attention.'
She died at her home in Evreux, Normandy.
