Pierre Giffard

Pierre Giffard(French pronunciation:[pjɛʁʒifaʁ]; 1 May 1853 – 21 January 1922) was a French journalist, a pioneer of modern political reporting, a newspaper publisher and a prolific sports organiser. In 1892, he was appointedChevalier(Knight) of theLégion d'Honneurand in 1900 he was appointed anOfficier(Officer) of the Légion d'Honneur.
Parisian newspapers used sporting events as circulation aids, and Giffard created theParis–Brest–Pariscycle race in 1891, the 380 kilometreParis–Belfortrunning race in 1892,the world's first car race fromParis to Rouenin 1894,theParis Marathonin 1896, and a foot-race from Bordeaux to Paris in 1903.
Giffard served as the editor ofLe Petit Journaland then the sports dailyLe Vélo, where his passionate support forAlfred Dreyfusand thus his opposition to the car-maker ComteJules-Albert de Dionover the wholeDreyfus affairled de Dion to create a rival daily,L'Auto, which in turn created theTour de Francecycle race.
Pierre Giffard's father was a lawyer and mayor inFontaine-le-Dun. Pierre was taught from the age of six by Father Biville atSaint-Laurent-en-Cauxand from eight at theLycée Pierre CorneilleinRouen. He completed his schooling inParis, at the Lycée Charlemagne in the Marais district. It was there that he developed his republican ideas.
TheFranco-Prussian Warstarted in 1870 and Giffard enrolled in the army, with his parents' reluctant permission, atFontaine-le-DuninNormandy. He joined the reserve army in November atLe Havre. There, following the custom of the time, he was made an officer. He became a lieutenant on 10 December 1870. At the end of the war he resumed his studies atDouai, where he gained a university degree in August 1871.
Giffard's father died on 1 August 1872, and Giffard moved to Paris to work as a journalist.
Giffard had a long and successful career in journalism. Between 1873 and 1878 he worked forLe Corsaire,L'Evénement,La France,Le Gaulois,Le Petit Parisien,La Lanterneand finallyLe Figaro. He then assumed editorship ofLe Petit Journalin 1887 and of the sports dailyLe Véloin 1896.
After an abortive election attempt in 1900 Giffard returned to full-time journalism atLe Vélountil its demise in 1904. He then joinedMatin, which sent him to the Far East to cover the Russia-Japan war. He returned to Paris in July 1904, weakened by illness, and proceeded to work for several papers, includingDépêche ColonialeandPetit Marseillais. In June 1906, now one of the senior journalists of France, he went back toLe Figaroand reported the first meeting of the Russian parliament. In 1910 Giffard was employed by his arch-rivalHenri Desgrangewriting forL'Autountil retirement.
Giffard joinedLe Figaroon the strength of his reports of the World Exhibition in Paris and of conferences he organised there concerning the invention of the telephone and telegraph. He reported from Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Greece, Austria, Scotland, Algeria, Tunisia, Malta, Cyprus, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark. He reported on the attack by French troops onCheikh Bouamamafr:Cheikh BouamamainAlgeriaand the taking ofSfaxinTunisia, and the arrival of the British fleet atAlexandriaand the departure of the French navy.
In June 1906, he went back toLe Figaroand reported the first meeting of theRussian parliament, theDouma.
Hippolyte Auguste Marinoniasked Giffard to reorganise the newsroom of the daily paper,Le Petit Journal. He began work on 1 October 1887. There he started a diary which, in the tradition of the paper, he signed with a pseudonym: Jean-sans-Terre. He stayed at the paper for 10 years. In 1891 he organised theParis–Brest–Parisbicycle race for the newspaper, followed by the Paris–Belfort running race. In 1892, he was appointed a member of theLégion d'Honneur, and in 1900 he was appointed as an officer.
In 1896, he joined his colleague Paul Rousseau at the head of the newspaper,Le Vélo, where he wrote under the nameArator. There on 19 July 1896 he organised the first Paris marathon and helped found theAutomobile Club de France.
In 1900 he threw the paper in support ofAlfred Dreyfusin theDreyfus affair. France was divided over the justice of his trial for selling military secrets to the Germans. The paper's largest advertisers, anti-Dreyfusards such as CountJules-Albert de Dion,Adolphe ClémentandÉdouard Michelinbelieved Dreyfus guilty and removed their advertising from the paper. They then launched a rival paper, at first called L'Auto-Vélo and then simplyL'Auto.
A circulation war broke out between the two papers. Le Vélo's biggest publicity stunts included staging a second edition of theParis–Brest–Pariscycle-race in 1901, that he had created in 1891.L'Auto'sresponse came on 19 December 1902, whenGéo Lefèvresuggested aTour de Francewhich was an overwhelming circulation success in 1903.Le Vélo's response in 1903 was a running-race from Bordeaux to Paris, but it was too late.Le Vélodisappeared in 1904 and Giffard eventually joined Desgrange's staff atL'Auto.
Giffard created theParis–Brest–Pariscycle race in 1891, although it was promoted asParis–Brest et retourin his editorials which he signed"Jean-sans-Terre". It is now established as the oldest long-distance cycling road event.Le Petit Journaldescribed it as an "épreuve," a test of the bicycle's reliability and the rider's endurance. Riders were fully self-sufficient, carrying their own food and clothing and riding the same bicycle for the duration. The public response to his articles was so phenomenal that he had to change the rules and start charging 5 francs entrance, as 300 riders including 7 women signed up, although the women were later refused entrance. Each bicycle was given an 'official seal' at a two-day ceremony in front of the offices ofLe Petit Journal. The 280 sealed machines included 10tricycles, 2Tandem bicycles, and 1Penny-farthing.
Participation was restricted to Frenchmenand 99 of the 207 (or 280) participants finished.Michelin'sCharles Terrontwon in 71 hours 22 minutes after passingDunlop's Jiel-Laval as he slept during the third night. Both had suffered punctures in their pneumatic tyres, but still enjoyed an advantage over riders on solid tires.
The first race was a coup forLe Petit Journaland the organisers decided to run it every ten years. The second race in 1901 was again organised by Giffard but on behalf ofLe Vélo.
On 5 June 1892,Giffard organised a foot-race from Paris to Belfort, a course of over 380 kilometers, the first large scale long-distance running race on record. Over 1,100 competitors registered for the event and over 800 started from the offices ofLe Petit Journal, atParis Opera. This had also been the start point for the inaugural Paris–Brest–Paris cycle-race the previous year.Newspaper circulation dramatically increased as the French public followed the progress of race participants, 380 of whom completed the course in under 10 days. InLe Petit Journalon 18 June 1892, Giffard praised the event as a model for the physical training of a nation faced by hostile neighbours.The event was won by Constant Ramoge in 100 hours 5 minutes.
In 1894, when Giffard was editor in chief of newspaperLe Petit Journal, he organised what is considered to be the world's first car race fromParis to Rouen,sporting events were a tried and tested form of publicity stunt and circulation booster. The paper promoted it as aCompetition for Horeseless Carriages(Concours des Voitures sans Chevaux) that werenot dangerous, easy to drive, and cheap during the journey. Thus it blurred the distinctions between a reliability trial, a general event and a race, but the main prize was for the first across the finish line in Rouen. 102 people paid the 10 franc entrance fee.
On 22 July 1894, 69 cars started the 50 km selection event that would show which entrants would be allowed to start the main event, the 127 km race from Paris to Rouen. The entrants ranged from serious manufacturers likePeugeot,PanhardorDe Dionto amateur owners, and only 25 were selected for the main race.
The race started fromPorte Maillotand went through theBois de Boulogne. CountJules-Albert de Dionwas first into Rouen after 6 hours and 48 minutes at an average speed of 19 km/h. He finished 3’30" ahead ofAlbert Lemaître(Peugeot), followed by Doriot (Peugeot) at 16’30",René Panhard(Panhard) at 33’30’’ andÉmile Levassor(Panhard) at 55’30”. The official winners were Peugeot and Panhard as cars were judged on their speed, handling and safety characteristics, and De Dion's steam car needed a stoker which was forbidden.
On 18 July 1896 Giffard organised the inauguralParis Marathonon behalf ofLe Petit Journal, although he was editor ofLe Vélo, suggesting a cooperative commercial relationship.The event followed on from the success of the marathon in the 1896 inaugural Olympics. Gifford started the race before a large crowd at the Porte Maillot, and it followed a course toVersaillesand finished inConflans-Sainte-Honorine. The race and the 200-franc prize were won byLen Hurst, a 24-year-old brick maker from England.
Giffard organised the first foot-race from Bordeaux to Paris in 1903, which was won by Francois Peguet in 114 hours 22 minutes 20 seconds with Emil Anthoine in second place.
The phrase "la petite reine" has passed into the French language as a term for a bicycle. The origins are in 1891, when Giffard wrote a history of bicycle development,La Reine Bicyclette.The expression was made more emblematic by the picture on the cover, of a young woman wearing a modern bicycle as a crown. The title was intended to describe the spirit that the bicycle had brought to her life. Cycling enthusiasts adopted the name, calling their machine "la petite reine".
Le Sieur de Va-Partoutwas the first French book in a new style, the literature of reporting, and therefore of a new type of author: the writer-reporter.
La Fin du Chevalwas Giffard's 1899 humorous thesis on the inevitable replacement of the horse by the bicycle, then by the car. It was illustrated byAlbert Robida.
La Guerre Infernalewas an adventure novel for children, published as a serial, an edition appearing every Saturday.The 520 illustrations were created by Albert Robida.It described a world war, years before it happened, describing an attack onLondonby the Germans and war betweenJapanand theUnited States. It was subsequently republished as a book.
Giffard stood in the national election of March 1900, a candidate in the 2nd constituency ofSeine-Inférieure(Yvetot). A passionate left wingDreyfussard, he failed due to the generalDreyfusinerift in French politics, and he was a victim ofde Dion's sometimes violentanti-Dreyfussardstance.De Dion had distributed free copies of Giffard's humorous bookLa Fin du Cheval, claiming it to be Giffard's political program.
In 1892, Giffard was appointed 'Chevalier' (Knight) of theLégion d'Honneurand in September 1900, at the Paris Exposition, he was appointed an 'Officier' (Officer) of the Légion d'Honneur.
He died on 21 January 1922 at his home inMaisons-Laffittewhere he had lived since 1883.
The rue de Pierre Giffard in the Paris suburb ofSaint-Denisis named in his honour.