Dear readers,
One of the first books that I ever scanned was the book "Les Garcons" with photographs by the Frenchman Jos Maier. I've always loved his work: another of his books is "Hoi" and he published a lot of photo's in various magazines like "P'tit Loup". What strikes me in many of his photos is how the boys fit perfectly in the frame of the photograph. And I've said it before: I just love French boys!
When I scanned this book the first time (over 4 years ago) I didn't know much about scanning plus I didn't use Photoshop at the time. When I saw the old scans a year ago I decided that I should rescan the book since it really deserves to be seen in a better quality. Please have a look at these, and maybe read the preface I include from the book.
enjoy !
"Johnie"
Mothers love them. Little girls love them much less. Big sisters and big brothers put up with them. Although grownups, in general, pay no attention to them, they are under the protection of Heaven.
The boy is a direct truth with a big streak of dirt across his face; a wise being with spruce gum stuck in his hair; and a mass of hope, with a frog bouncing in his pocket.
A boy has the appetite of a horse, the digestive system of a sword swallower, the curiosity of a cat, the energy of a nuclear bomb (the portable size), the lungs of a dictator, the imagination of a politician, the gravity of a firecracker, and the beauty of an apple completely eaten away by worms. What is more striking, whenever he tries to do anything by himself, he has five thumbs on each hand.
No one in the world can get up so early or go to bed so late. No one in the world can, like a boy, put in his pockets a rusty penknife, a half-eaten orange, three feet of string, a top, a rock collection, two spiders and five butterflies, and still have room to squeeze in his bathing suit ..."
(from "Scout-Jeunesse" 1977, translated by Cuffy)
Les mamans les aiment. Les petites filles les aiment beaucoup moins. Les grandes soeurs et les grands frères les tolèrent. Les adultes les ignorent, mais le Ciel les protège.
Un garçon est une vérité directe avec une grande tache de saleté sur la figure, une sagesse avec de la gomme d'épinette dans les cheveux et beaucoup d'espoir avec une grenouille dans les poches.
Un garçon possède l'appétit d'un cheval, le système digestif d'un avaleur de sabres, la curiosité d'un chat, l'énergie d'une bombe atomique de format portatif, les poumons d'un dictateur, l'imagination d'un politicien, le sérieux d'un pétard et la beauté d'une pomme complètement piquée par les vers. Mais chose étonnante, lorsqu'il réalise quelque chose par lui-même, il possède cinq pouces à chaque main.
Personne au monde ne peut se lever tôt et se mettre au lit aussi tard. Personne au monde ne peut, comme un garçon, mettre dans ses poches un canif rouillé, une orange à moitié mangée, trois mètres de corde, une toupie, une collection de roches, deux araignées et cinq papillons, et trouver encore de la place pour y enfouir un caleçon de bain ..."
(extrait de "Scout-Jeunesse" 1977)