Maurice Tabard was born in Lyon, France. He studied at the New York Institute of Photography in New York and worked as a portrait photographer. Tabard returned to France in 1927, where he connected with many influential artists. He created Surrealist compositions, incorporating solarization, superimposition and photomontage; his work was included in the landmark 1929 Film und Foto exhibition. Tabard contributed fashion and advertisement photographs to numerous magazines, including Harper’s Bazaar under Alexey Brodovitch.