Autograph draft of a letter addressed to the director of Combat, written in black ink on a sheet of white paper, numerous deletions and additions; at the head of the sheet and in pink ballpoint pen in Breton's hand, the word "Combat". Transversal creases and some minute marginal tears.
Interesting draft recounting the extraordinary affair of the mammoth drawing from the prehistoric cave of Pech Merle.
The most telling testimony of this unlikely visit is that which Breton himself provided in one of his letters to his daughter Cécile on July 29, 1952:
« J'ai, de plus, ici, une histoire de tous les diables. Figure-toi que, jeudi dernier, nous nous rendons avec les Dax à Cabrerets dans l'intention de visiter la grotte qui présente de nombreux dessins préhistoriques. Tu sais que j'ai toujours eu des doutes sur l'authenticité d'une partie de ces dessins qui remonteraient à 30 000 ans et sont d'une fraîcheur et d'une fragilité bien singulières. Le guide commençait à peine ses explications devant ce qu'il nommait « la chapelle des mammouths » et j'étais déjà agacé par ce mot de chapelle introduit là de manière absolument tendancieuse quand je portai le doigt sur une des lignes tracées sur la paroi, pour voir si un enduit calcaire la recouvrait. C'est à ce moment que le guide, furibond, m'asséna sur la main un violent coup de bâton. Comme de juste, une très violente dispute s'ensuivit, au cours de laquelle je remis le pouce au même endroit et frottai légèrement, assez toutefois pour constater que la ligne s'effaçait comme un simple trait de fusain, me laissant toute sa poussière au doigt. Le guide, qui se donna alors pour le concessionnaire de la grotte et dont je devais apprendre peu après qu'il n'était autre qu'un député M.R.P. (c'est-à-dire catholique) du Lot, fit immédiatement appeler la police mais les gendarmes arrivèrent trop tard : nous étions déjà partis, non sans que j'aie corrigé à coups de poing le personnage en question, qui me traitait de « lâche » entre autres choses. Hier j'ai reçu ici la visite d'un gendarme qui m'a donné lecture de la plainte déposée contre moi par cet individu, qui me poursuit en dommages et intérêts pour dégradation de dessin figurant une trompe de mammouth : tu imagines ! Comme cette grotte de Cabrerets est une des grandes attractions touristiques du département et que le plaignant est député et intéressé à l'exploitation (200 F l'entrée) de ce prétendu sanctuaire, je ne suis pas sans inquiétudes sur les suites de l'affaire : ma consolation est de l'avoir littéralement roué de coups (mon poing en est encore tout meurtri). »
["I have, moreover, here, a devilish story. Imagine that last Thursday, we went with the Dax family to Cabrerets with the intention of visiting the cave which presents numerous prehistoric drawings. You know that I have always had doubts about the authenticity of some of these drawings which supposedly date back 30,000 years and are of a most singular freshness and fragility. The guide had barely begun his explanations in front of what he called 'the chapel of the mammoths' and I was already annoyed by this word chapel introduced there in an absolutely tendentious manner when I placed my finger on one of the lines traced on the wall, to see if a limestone coating covered it. It was at this moment that the guide, furious, struck my hand a violent blow with his stick. As was fitting, a very violent dispute ensued, during which I put my thumb back in the same place and rubbed lightly, enough however to ascertain that the line was erasing like a simple charcoal mark, leaving all its dust on my finger. The guide, who then gave himself out as the concessionaire of the cave and of whom I was to learn shortly after that he was none other than an M.R.P. (that is to say Catholic) deputy from Lot, immediately called the police but the gendarmes arrived too late: we had already left, not without my having corrected with punches the character in question, who was calling me a 'coward' among other things. Yesterday I received here the visit of a gendarme who read to me the complaint filed against me by this individual, who is pursuing me for damages for degradation of a drawing representing a mammoth's trunk: you can imagine! As this Cabrerets cave is one of the great tourist attractions of the department and the plaintiff is a deputy and has an interest in the exploitation (200 F entrance fee) of this supposed sanctuary, I am not without worries about the consequences of the affair: my consolation is to have literally beaten him to a pulp (my fist is still all bruised from it)."]
The affair caused much ink to flow and the missive we offer is a reaction to the article that appeared in an issue of
Combat:
"Mr. Editor-in-Chief Director, I contest formally reject the basis of information upon which was established without any other precaution of accuracy any prior verification, the article published on August 4th last in Combat under the title 'André Breton attacks the "conservation" of a mammoth'. I am particularly affected to read it in a newspaper where I was a collaborator and where I believed I had kept friendships." We reproduce here the said article occupying a small section of the issue entitled "The whole town is talking about it...":
« La tentation de la désobéissance et de la révolte ne semble pas avoir abandonné le « Pape du Surréalisme », André Breton, qui se repose actuellement dans sa retraite de Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, dans le Lot. Mêlé à un groupe de touristes conduits par M. Bessac, député du département, il visitait dernièrement la grotte préhistorique de Cabrerets. Passant devant l'un des nombreux dessins rupestres qui couvrent les parois, l'écrivain mit le doigt sur la trompe d'un mammouth, défiant ainsi les barrières et les interdictions. Ce que voyant, M. Bessac, s'empressa de lui rappeler l'existence de règlements draconiens, interdisant expressément toute atteinte contre les précieux et fragiles dessins. Mais André Breton, se souvenant sans doute du beau temps de son premier manifeste, continua son manège. Sur une nouvelle et pressante intervention de M. Bessac, il aurait même, selon certains témoins, prononcé des paroles désobligeantes à l'égard du député. M. Bessac lui intima l'ordre de sortir, mais sans succès et la gendarmerie réussit à faire ce que la persuasion n'avait pu réussir. Parions qu'André Breton doit sourire de son aventure malgré la plainte pour dégradation de monument historique qui a été déposée contre lui. »
["The temptation of disobedience and revolt does not seem to have abandoned the 'Pope of Surrealism', André Breton, who is currently resting in his retreat at Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, in Lot. Mixed in with a group of tourists led by M. Bessac, deputy of the department, he recently visited the prehistoric cave of Cabrerets. Passing in front of one of the numerous cave drawings that cover the walls, the writer put his finger on a mammoth's trunk, thus defying the barriers and prohibitions. Seeing this, M. Bessac hastened to remind him of the existence of draconian regulations, expressly forbidding any attack against the precious and fragile drawings. But André Breton, doubtless remembering the good times of his first manifesto, continued his antics. Upon a new and pressing intervention by M. Bessac, he would even, according to certain witnesses, have spoken derogatory words regarding the deputy. M. Bessac ordered him to leave, but without success and the gendarmerie succeeded in doing what persuasion had failed to accomplish. Let us wager that André Breton must smile at his adventure despite the complaint for degradation of a historical monument that has been filed against him."]
The affair may make one smile, but this simple brawl would nonetheless go to trial and Breton would receive a fine of 5,000 francs, one franc in damages to the State and the commune of Cabrerets, and 25,000 francs for the guide-deputy.
