A few years ago, Michel Comte discovered that Charles Chaplin's estate held an extensive photo archive, consisting of thousands of glass negatives, negatives and photographic prints. Chaplin's life and work was documented with passionate enthusiasm: private photographs taken by his friends, his family and his children had been collected and kept, as well as "official" photographs made during shootings and work in Hollywood studios.
Many of these photographs have never been published. From this tremendous find Michel Comte has put together a sensitive album which shows a hitherto unknown Charlie Chaplin. He has concentrated on Chaplin's trips round the world, "snapshots" with artist colleagues and visiting dignitaries, with relatives, his children and grandchildren. This book begins in 1909, and follows Chaplin's life step by step, presenting an artist who "acted" throughout his life, and who was also "in the limelight" in his private life too.