He produced portraits of many personalities such as Johnny Hallyday, Gilbert Bécaud, Mireille Darc, Jacques Brel, Fernand Raynaud, Anna Karina, Samy Davis Jr., Jeanne Moreau, Steve McQueen and his long-time friends, Daniel Sorano and Jacques Dufilho as well as Gonzague Saint Bris with whom he was very close and who nicknamed him “The Toulouse-Lautrec of photography’’.

In 1961 he participated alongside Edouard Boubat, Agnès Varda, Man Ray, Frank Horvat, William Klein and Robert Doisneau in the mythical exhibition "Metamorphosis and invention of a face" around the portrait of Anne- Marie Edvina.

Paul de Cordon even tried his hand at television by co-presenting the Cirques du Monde program with Jean Richard on channel A2.

It was in Maurens that Paul de Cordon, as a child, spent his holidays and it was there that he discovered horses which were to become one of the great passions of his life.

His grandfather Boyer-Montegut was what was the French call, a “Homme de cheval’’ whose four-in-hand teams were renowned in Toulouse and across the region.

He was then able to discover a very intense artistic and cultural life thanks to his aunt, the Marquise du Crozet, his mother's elder sister.

He was the owner of Master Bob, who won the 1924 Paris Grand Steeple Chase * and who became so famous an athlete that he is mentioned by Ernest Hemingway at the start of his book ‘’Death in the Afternoon’’.

Jean Devaivre then went to work in cinema and became a great director, it was he who enabled Paul de Cordon, after the war, to embark on a new life.

Devaivre was not only a cineaste but also an authentic character actor: working during the occupation for the German group Continental Films in Paris, he was at the same time a very active member of the French resistance.

In 1939, the 2nd Hussards broke up into reconnaissance groups which took part in the 1940 battles on the Ardennes front, * Paul de Cordon participated in these actions in a mounted squadron and was taken prisoner by the Germans.

He was Devaivre’s first assistant director for “La ferme des sept péchés" ( he was also the stuntman for scenes on horseback) and for "Vendetta en Camargue" where he reunited with Jacques Dufilho.

He set up a studio in Paris and started developing relations with various clients in the press, advertising agencies, fashion designers, show business ...

Over these years, he has developed close ties with the great dynasties of the circus ring : Schumann, Rancy, Knie, Gruss, Bouglione, Houcke, Medrano, Fratellini etc ...

This equestrian culture and Paul de Cordon’s experience as a horseman facilitated and consolidated links with all these artists and strengthened their mutual confidence and friendship.

This book, published in 1977 by Le Chêne, allows us, with hindsight, to better understand the originality and peculiarity of Paul de Cordon’s photos.

Few images make you feel with as much force the reciprocal respect and the affection that there can be between a wild beast and his tamer but also the formidable danger, the courage it takes to face it and the amount of work and humility that represent a successful act.

They both had a touch of dandyism and a taste for beautiful fabrics and bespoke suits which led them to share a Russian tailor before he emigrated to Hollywood to dress movie stars.

His portraits of pop stars are of interest in that they totally ignore the canons of the yé-yé aesthetic imposed by the iconic music magazine « Salut les copains » (Hello mates).

Paul de Cordon died in March 1998 in Paris, two years before his wife, Dilette, who had accompanied him to circuses around the world.