Poetry

"It's war!" we shouted that night, over and over again. The terrible word brought us bad luck... It was 1913: the following year, we were packing our kits again. This time, for real. And not all the guests came back." p. 335

First edition, one of only 6 copies printed on Hollande, this being copy no. 1 of the deluxe issue.
Bound in navy blue morocco backed boards with corners, spine very lightly sunned with raised bands, gilt date at foot, marbled paper-covered boards and endpapers, edges untrimmed, top edge gilt, covers and spine preserved. Binding signed Lavaux.
A fine copy with wide margins, attractively bound.
Bookplate pasted to a flyleaf.
The author's own copy, profusely extra-illustrated, of this magnificent Montmartre chronicle. Tipped in is an original ink portrait of Roland Dorgelès by Gus Bofa, humorously captioned: "Monsieur Roland Dorgelès dans son uniforme de rédacteur à la petite semaine"

Alongside two original photographs, one depicting the famous Montmartre figure Francisque Poulbot in his Guignol theatre (Agence Rol, 1910), and the other a very rare photograph of the legendary “Fête des Dernières Cartouches” organised by Poulbot on 23 May 1913. We have located only one other known image of this event. The photograph shows the merry band of participants at Poulbot’s place on rue de l’Orient, dressed as soldiers from the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The celebration, which created quite a stir, is recounted by Dorgelès in this book:

New illustrated edition with 22 plates by Célestin Nanteuil, and some headpieces. Text adapted for young readers. Translation by Le Prince Le brun. First edition of this version for young readers.
Publisher's polychrome mosaic cartonnage binding. Smooth spine with ornaments on red, green and cream ground. Upper cover decorated with 4 shields, 2 red and 2 blue, and a portrait of Tasso on cream ground, all set against Renaissance interlacing patterns. Blind-ruled frame on covers. Edges gilt. On the lower cover, a very elaborate shield on green ground. Tinted paper throughout. Dark traces on the lemon endpapers. Some very occasional and light foxing.

A very handsome copy in this cartonnage binding.

First edition printed on alfa paper, no mention is made of deluxe copies.
Work illustrated with illustrations in the text.
Manuscript signature of Géo Lévy-Say at the head of the title page.

Autograph letter dated and signed by André Frénaud addressed to art critic Georges Raillard (12 lines in blue ballpoint pen) regarding the publication of his latest work L'étape dans la clairière.
Fold marks inherent to the letter's envelope placement, envelope included.
André Frénaud expresses his discontent at being so poorly perceived in the literary world and, in an effort to be better regarded, he appeals to Georges Raillard regarding his latest work L'étape dans la clairière: "... je vous l'adresse comme une approche par l'auteur, très subjective donc et unilatérale, pas du tout une interprétation officielle et complète !!! mais cela vous intéressera peut-être pour éclairer sinon une intention préalable au poème du moins une analyse chemin faisanrt et après coup." ["... I send it to you as an approach by the author, very subjective therefore and unilateral, not at all an official and complete interpretation!!! but this might interest you to illuminate if not a prior intention to the poem at least an analysis in the making and after the fact."]

Nouveau cercle parisien du livre, Paris 1965, 35x45cm, morocco binding under custom chemise and slipcase.

"The idea of this book, bringing together poems by Jean Cocteau illustrated by Léopold Survage on the theme of Pegasus, had been submitted to the Poet and had pleased him. A few days before his death, he invited us to Milly-la-Forêt to hand over the texts and the preface he had specially written. But on the day of our appointment, he was no longer there" (afterword to Pégase).