Eugène Villiod
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“Villiod, Commercial and Confidential Information Services: Inquiries, Research, Surveillance.” Poster by Leonetto Cappiello, 1909. Image Source: Capiello’s Posters. While Eugène Villiod energetically promoted his detective agency by offering diverse services and publishing multiple books on criminal activities and gambling, his entrepreneurial efforts failed to generate substantial revenues. Then, Dame Fortune smiled upon him. One of…
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“E. Villiod, Détective.” Frontispiece photo-portrait in Comment on nous vole, comment on nous tue (“How They Rob Us, How They Kill Us”). Paris: Chez l’Auteur, 1905. Author’s collection. Without a doubt, the most enterprising French private detective of the Belle Époque was Eugène Villiod. From 1899 to the mid-1930s, Villiod operated a private detective agency…
