Serge Gainsbourg, 5 bis rue de Verneuil

Behind this famous address of 5 bis rue de Verneuil hides the refuge of Serge Gainsbourg. He lived there from 1969 until his death in 1991… From the beginning of his story with Jane Birkin, through the birth of Charlotte, his meeting with Bamboo, and the birth of his son Lulu…
Inherited from his daughter Charlotte, this house has not changed since the death of Serge Gainsbourg, nothing has changed. As in a fairy tale, the ashtray is still full of gypsies, the fridge is full, the bottles of wine have been opened…
Tony Frank had the privilege of frequenting these places in the company of his friend Gainsbourg, whom he photographed several times in his favorite setting, from the beginning of their meeting in the late 1960s.
More than 25 years after the artist’s death, in the spring of 2017, he returned, not without emotion, to this home so rich in memories, and became a witness to Serge’s shadow. We discover with surprise that he admired Marilyn Monroe, we come across the immense portrait of Bardot, which broke his heart before his meeting with Jane… We recognize the original manuscript of La Marseillaise that he bought at auction in 1981, Claude Lalanne’s Man with the head of cabbages…and for a moment one could almost imagine knowing this famous place, bearer of so many fantasies and legends, not as a visitor but as a friend of this extraordinary character who is still Serge Gainsbourg in our hearts.