Paris de Nuit contains Brassaï's nocturnal photographs of Parisian streets, bars, cafés, and clubs as the city transitioned from the Belle Époque to the modern era, from gas lighting to electricity. After studying painting in Budapest and Berlin, Brassaï settled in Paris in early 1924. He enjoyed exploring Paris at night, roaming the mostly empty streets, parks, cafes, and bars, occasionally accompanied by companions such as the writers Léon-Paul Fargue and Raymond Queneau, or his friend and fellow Hungarian émigré, André Kertész, who taught him the basic principles of photographing at night.

Brassaï was not happy with the use of red ink on the original cover, writing in a letter to his parents that the printer had promised to switch to white or silver ink after printing the first thousand copies, a change which does not appear to have been enacted.

First edition; 4to (248 x 192 mm, 9¾ x 7½ in); black & white photographs printed in gravure by Draeger; photo-illustrated spiral-bound card covers, titles printed in red, minor wear to fore-edge, but still an exceptionally fresh and bright copy in a custom box by Julie Nadot; [76]pp.

Regards à travers Le Livre 57; Brassai: Letters to My Parents pp207-8; Fotografia Pública 100-3; The Book of 101 Books pp76-7; The Photobook: A History I, p134; The Open Book pp110-1; Auer collection p198; Paris: Les Livres de photographies pp116-21.