.5 x 12.5 m.; black ink on yellow - a small pappillion written by Debord and Bernstein with a text in French: “Rarement la carence intellectuelle et la veulerie morale d’une génération perdue ont été si manifestes que dans cette irritante jeunesse, aussi étrangère à tout art véritable qu’à l’enthousiasme nouveau de la rénovation française, qui affiche chaque soir son mépris des valeurs occidentales et sa malsaine tristesse à "La Méthode", de la rue Descartes” This is usually translated as : "Seldom have the intellectual deficiency and moral cowardice of a lost generation been so manifest as they are in this irritating youth. It is as divorced from any true art as it is in the new enthusiasm brought about by French renovation. Every evening, this youth displays its contempt for Western values and its unhealthy sadness at "La Méthode", de la rue Descartes". The small leaflet promoted not only Debord's cynicism but also the bar that he and Bernstein ran for less than a month from 10 to 29 October 1958. VG+. Rare.

8.5 x 13.5cm, black on yellow street leaflet/sticker. The promotional device used by Debord and others to recruit for this grouping - a split from Isadore Isou's Lettriste group and the forerunner of the Situationiste Internationale. Fine condition. Rare.

34 x 21.4cm, 1pp mimeographed leaflet handed out to call for a demonstration in the form of a a silent procession around the Lieverdje statue. Designed by C. Nuit for Provo this was the 6th Provokatie leaflet (which was often placed in copies of Provo). Previously folded twice for stroage this is otherwise VG+.

Amsterdam
August 13, 1965

21 x 13.5, 2pp (folded to 4pp). A self published tract written by the Belgium surrealist group member Van Bruaene which complains bitterly but with some humour about the mis-editing of a textual piece by himself in an edition of the art periodical Phantomas.

Van Bruaene often wrote under the pseudonym of 'Le Petit Gerard' or, as here, "Zerar le bricoleur" and this is a wonderful instance of his wit where he tells an apocryphal anecdote about the stupidity of an art critic which (cryptically) is really aimed at the Phantomas editor. On the front (blank) cover of the text, Van Bruaene has written a note to his friend Melly, the British surrealist, close friend of Magritte and later famous jazz singer/musician: "Offert de tout coeur l'ambassadeur d'(?????), George Melly, Gerard 14, VIII, 57".  One word is particularly hard to read/translate (thus the ????) and it may be a personal joke / nickname shared by the two men. Slightly browned otherwise very good.

30.8 x 23.8cm, 2pp. Black on green (Ca commerce bien!) and red on white (Familiers¦) - a double sided tract. The rare re-issue of this attack on the bourgeois appropriation of Rimbaud by critics on the centenary of the poet's birth as signed by Bedouin, Benayoun, Dax, Flamond, Goldfayn, Hantai, Lebreton, Legrand, Mitrani, Paalen, Peret, Pierre, Reigl, Schuster, Seghers, Toyen and Valore for the surrealist group (mostly those around Phases) and Michele Bernstein, Mohamed Dahou, Guy Debord, Jacques Fillon and Gil Wolman for the International Lettristes.

The original publication of the tract was produced only a few months beforehand but the surrealists had second thoughts and immediately withdrew their support for the text  (which had been originally written by one amongst their own number and signed as an act of solidarity by Debord etc). The surrealists apparently felt the text to be too leftist despite the original being from their own hand! Hence the reissue here by the the Surrealist Group with an additional printing on the back of the text: "Familiers du grand truc"  where many of the same signatories (now with Breton's name significantly added along with Meret Oppenheim and Nora Mitrami amongst others) denounced their former signatories in harsh terms (suggesting scandalously that they were Stalinists and future participants in Moscow show trials).

One closed paper tear (0.6 x 0.8cm) bottom right which does not affect the texts on either side and wear and tear around margins.

This is a rare publication in any condition from the early debates that led clearly to formation of the International Situationists after the splits of the 50s and 60s within the avant garde.

21 x 15cm, 4pp black on light yellow. Two long texts on Jarry written by T. Bullin. Minor handling creases and some browning otherwise very good.

32.5 x 25.5 cm, 4pp. A lengthy text mostly by Breton in which the group condemned the activities of the Gallery Kleber which had organised the "Commemorative Ceremonies of the Condemnation of Siger de Brabant" - an exhibition with a catalogue text which argued for the return to "Christian" values. Given the gallery's owners were two former surrealists (Hentai and Mathieu) this was a double sin and the wrath of the group was made public. The surrealists (always anti-clerical) also took the chance to attack the Pope as the head of a tyranny.

Signed by Bedoin, Benayoun, Bona, Breton, Dax, Ivsic, Legrand, Mansour, Mitrani, Oppenheim, Peret, Schuster and Toyen amongst others this is a scarce publication. Some surface abrasion, minor light grubbiness and minor marking to outer surfaces and a printer's ink stain to the left side of the front page (none of which affects the text at any point) this is just below very good but certainly a useful and interesting document to have nonetheless. Priced thus.

27 x 22cm, 8pp. Self cover. The true first edition of this clandestinely published poetic homage to the enslaved motherland of France - a collection of slightly trite poems which later drew Peret's attention and ultimately an attack on its openly nationalistic sentiments when the latter saw a South American edition of the later-expanded book.

The major argument between Peret and the 'resistance poets' mostly concerned the inclusion of both Aragon and Eluard who wrote works here under pseudonyms - Malo Lebleu being Aragon, Jacques Destaing being Eluard.

NB - this is NOT the later anthology of poetry of the same name but the original pamphlet printed on cheap paper with an anonymous short foreword extolling the role of patriotic poets in rallying the nation against their oppressors.

This is an uncut example although the cheap paper is browned and the edges have small tears and wear all round. Very rare.

27 x 21cm, 1pp black on white. Collective tract written on the acceptance by Saint-John Perse of the Nobel Prize for literature. Signed by Breton, Gracq, Paulhan, Ponge, Soupault and Ungaretti. Formerly folded and with some browning along the fold otherwise very good.

20. x 20. 5 cm. 4pp tract black on green. A political leaflet distributed as one of the last hurrahs of the most politicised section of the surrealists. The text is a diatribe against the atomic bomb. Signed by (amongst others) Mesens, Toyen, Mansour, Peret, Breton and Lebel. Very good apart form a few small closed tears around the extremities and some unavoidable fading of the green.

This copy was previously owned by Toyen and is stamped "Toyen Succession".

44 x 13cm, 1pp. Political tract and manifesto printed, unusually for such tracts, black on red crepe paper and rolled up for distribution - the leaflet was a call for arms for a new generation of surrealists who gathered around Breton.

Signed in print by Bedouin (who wrote most of the text), Benayoun, Breton, Brun, Dax, Ferry, Mitrani, Peret, Man Ray, Toyen and Trouille amongst others. Very good with some fold marks unavoidable due to the unusual format employed.