The photographer-reporter Yves Debraine passed away last Thursday in Lausanne, at the age of 85. Based in Switzerland since 1948, the Parisian-born Debraine worked for decades for diverse titles such as L’Illustré, the Schweizer Illustrierte and L’Hebdo.

Trained at Agence France-Presse, Yves Debraine had a « very efficient style, avoiding free-looking images. He never had artistic ambition and refused homages and exhibitions, with the exception of one », claims those working on his archives, his son, Luc Debraine.

Yves Debraine collaborated with numerous other publications as Time, Stern, Epoca, and Paris Match, all the while being published in several books for Time-Life publishing.

A fortuitous encounter in 1952 on the steps of a hotel in Lausanne led him to meet Charlie Chaplin.

Thanks to this contact, at the age of 27, Yves Debraine became the official photographer of the actor and filmmaker, publishing many stories on the star as well as his holiday cards.

Yves Debraine is the father of our collaborator, Luc Debraine.