Nothing beats true Surrealism !
A century of materialism has failed to constrain the profound modernity of Surrealism, as each works of art and literature provoke a revolution in the senses and consciousness.
While some today declare the death of Surrealism,
the fact remains that its corpse is exquisite...
"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:
First edition, one of 170 numbered copies on vélin du Marais, the only issue after 30 copies on Arches.
Custom chemise and slipcase, chemise in half blue box calf, flat spine with blind and palladium-stamped lettering, date in palladium at foot, patterned paper boards, slipcase edged in blue box calf, patterned paper boards, sides and spine in petrol blue paper, signed by Boichot.
A very fine copy.
Illustrated with 3 original etchings in black by Georges Braque and one in black and grey as frontispiece.
Signed by René Char and Georges Braque on the colophon.
First edition, one of 796 numbered copies on pur fil paper, the only grands papiers (deluxe copies) after 109 reimposed.
Full green board Bradel binding, title piece in glazed yellow calf, covers and spine preserved, contemporary binding.
Presentation copy inscribed by André Breton: “à Edmond Jaloux, hommage très dévoué. André Breton” “To Edmond Jaloux, a very devoted tribute. André Breton”.
Edmond Jaloux, who was one of the earliest promoters of surrealism, wrote at the release of this atypical novel and misunderstood by most of his contemporaries, the most laudatory article of the time, concluding with this admiring admission of the impotence of criticism in the face of the modernity of Breton's work; “this examination, I can sense it, remains outside the book and in no ways gives you the feeling of intense poetry, of great, free and true poetry which absolves Nadja and which affects your mind [...] like an extremely intoxicating alcohol, with this difference that no alcohol gives you dreams that stimulate the moving prose of Monsieur André Breton.”
Precious grand papier (deluxe) copy with a handwritten inscription from the author and filled with the original article by Edmond Jaloux pasted on two loose double leaves.
