Izis (Israelis Bidermanas) was a Litvak who moved to Paris in 1930, seeking a safe place to be a painter. During World War Two, he escaped to the countryside, was tortured by the makhshimoynik, only to be liberated by members of the French Resistance. In the following decades, he would be praised for his depictions of post-war Paris and its whimsical circus. He is considered to be among the greats of mid-century French humanist photographers, including Cartier-Bresson and Ronis. This Izis photograph is from his book “Izrael.”