A rare and very fascinating snapshot of the famous duel between Léon Blum (left) and Pierre Weber (right). Two witnesses and a referee follow the fight. Photographed by Meurisse, credit stamp on the verso. Silver print in good condition. Numbered "30654" in the upper right corner of the negative. Credit stamp and description on the verso. Small holes from thumbtacks in the corners.

The photo is a fascinating piece of photojournalistic history

In turn-of-the-century France, many insults were settled by duels. From politicians, to theater critics, everyone basically settled insults with their Épée.
On October 14, 1912, Léon Blum (later to become prime minister of France) fought a duel with theater critic Pierre Weber. It was a battle to be forever immortalized by a journalist and a cameraman who was present to capture the footage. You can find short movies of this duel on YouTube. The film shows Blum, aggressively attacking his adversary. At the time, the journalists on the scene all agreed on the intensity of the duel.

According to L’Aurore:
“M. Pierre Weber received a penetrating thrust to his right side, ending the fight. The wound was less serious than it seemed at first. The tip of the epee had been halted by [Weber’s] rib, but had it been a centimeter higher, it might have been fatal, because it would have touched the liver. The adversaries did not reconcile.”

In L’Intransigeant:
“the combat was intense…. This was a serious duel that at several points came close to ending tragically…. M. Blum, a tall man with a fiery gaze behind his glasses…. wore a black shirt, a black hat, and gray tennis shoes.”

ca. 11 x 16,2 cm