Charles Laborde was born in1886 in Buenos Aires, Argentina of French parents. He called himself Chas-Laborde. He was a pupil in Paris of Henri Royer and Marcel Baschet at l'Académie Julian in Paris, and of William Bouguereau and Luc-Olivier Merson at l'École des Beaux-Arts.

Laborde was one of the most well known illustrators in France in the 1920's and 1930's. His works are often compared to those of George Grosz. Both humorous and satirical, they were often directed at the French upper classes. His illustrations of street life in Paris convey the atmosphere of this city of diversity. Laborde illustrated many novelettes, magazines, and books.

In the 1930's, Laborde traveled to New York, London, ...