Breton apparently wrote this 'lettre pneumatique' in June 1920 (towards the end of the Dadaist period in Paris) and sent it to his lover with the following message:

"Ma cherie, pas encore ce soir,/ pardon. Je sais, je sais, et tu/ m'obliges te donner des motifs/ de mes absences, pourquoi? Je dois/ revoir Eluard qui part ˆ la/ campagne demain, je sors avec/ lui et rentrerai trs tard. La/ semaine prochaine, je compte/ que nous nous entendions mieux/ sur nos heures, ne dis pas/ que je ne fais pas ce que je peux./ Je pense toi, veux-tu m'ecrire/ un petit mot. Je suis aussi/ dans un etat moral singulier;/ ˆ quoi, mon amour, tu ne/ peux rien? Est-ce encore une/ fois pardonne?/ Andre

In translation:

My darling, again not tonight, sorry. I know, I know, and you force me to give you reasons for my absences, why? I must see Eluard again who goes to the countryside tomorrow, I will go out with him and come home very late. Next week, I hope that we will understand better each other about our "timing?", don't say that I don't do what I can. I think of you, can you write me a small note? I also am in a unusual ("singular") moral state, of which, my love, you can't do anything about? Am I once again forgiven? Andre

A lettre pneumatique was a common way of sending urgent notes throughout Paris (using a series of pneumatic tubes between post offices) and the tense tone of the letter suggests a clandestine arrangement having to be changed at short notice. The phasing of the letter also suggests a certain cooling of the relationship - certainly concern about the effect of Breton cancelling (presumably not for a first time) the meeting and the expected chiding from his lover.

The letter reads as if it has been written towards the end of a relationship rather than in the full passion of an early liaison. Men are like that: even famous surrealists. Perhaps, even more, famous surrealists. There is no reference in the literature, that we know of, to any lover of Breton's having the forename "Germaine" and it is tempting to speculate that the Germaine here is Germaine Picabia (nee Everling) who Breton certainly knew very well - Breton being a constant visitor to Picabia's house (the place, for example, where the Dadaists first met Tristan Tzara) and there are several photographs of Breton and the two Picabias at social functions and at Dadaist events.

However this is, just that, speculation and would require much further research to confirm but nonetheless the letter is a mystery awaiting a solution - was Breton cuckolding his friend?

The provenance of the letter is indirectly from Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes who has added various handwritten texts of his own including the "title" Perle Fausse (which translates as 'False Pearl'), the Surname "BRETON" under the "Andre" signed by Breton, as well as "A GERMAINE" and "DADA" at the bottom of the letter in purple and green inks.

It seems likely that these texts were added later as an attempt of explication by GR-D. Alternatively Ribemont-Dessaignes may have been commenting on the content of the letter, its tone of slight deceit or perhaps even a comment about the affair or the participants in the affair.

Verso the letter is in a minorly damaged state with the lettering of the outside of the epistle having been affected by some previous adhesion to another paper (perhaps a scrap book or book of mementos) and the name and address is unreadable, the stamps and franking can be seen but the date is hard to read although the franking does reveal "Paris" and "Juin 6" and the number "20" can also be seen in the franked impressions (which would match Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes' dating verso). The word "urgent" is also handwritten on the folded front of the letter. Perhaps scientific analysis could reveal more - certainly our own manipulations (enlargement and alteration of photographic contrast of an electronic reproduction) suggests that more detail could be revealed on the franking and possibly even the addressee with a little sophisticated work).

All in all a fascinating small letter which may raise more questions than it answers and a scarce early document from Breton's hand at a point where Dada was about to be rejected and surrealism born. One small tear on fold (0.7cm) and some adhesion from another paper verso otherwise very good condition bearing in mind the original mailed aspect of this item.

Paris: Salle Pleyel, 1948

13.8 x 14cm, 1pp announcement brochure for a public meeting /  conference at the Salle Pleyel on December 4, 1948 where Garry Davis' and others spoke about the need for pacificism after he disrupted a meeting of the United Nations in 1948 calling for World Government. DAvis had renounced his US citizenship after he had taken part in the bombing of Brandenburg during the second world war. The meeting was supported by the French surrealists including Breton who attended the conference. Some extensive staining to the sheet but a very rare document.

27 x 21cm, 1pp black on white offset. The stationary for the final great surrealist exhibition that took place in L'Œil gallery in December 1965. The stationery has an uncredited drawing top right of a fork piercing a straawberry but the fork can be seen to be part of a rocky landscape. The creditted organisers are Breton, Philippe Audoin, Jose Pierre and Pierre Faucheux. VG+ condition. Scarce.

28 x 21cm, 2pp red and black offset letterhead for this the last surrealist journal published with Breton's help. With an uncredited surrealist motif top right and contact details printed in reverse so that the text is read through the paper. Fine example of this scarce ephemera which has been indirectly obtained from Breton's studio after his death.

32 x 24cm, 2pp black on green paper - public tract (written by Breton?) which outlines the aims of the Surrealist movement in 1960. Signed in print by Jean Louise Bedouin, Robert Benayoun, Andre Breton, Alain Joubert, Gerard Legrand, Jose Pierre, Jean Schuster and Jean-Claude Silbermann.  The green of the paper has faded a little and there is a small paper lack on the left and a closed 2cm tear on the right else VG.

20 x 14cm cloth,covered boards - a period binding - content of the first edition of this keywork in the pre-history of surrealism, edited and with an introduction by Andre Breton. Original wrappers are retained. These letters, written during the war to Breton, T. Fraenkel and Louis Aragon, and gathered here for the first time constitute virtually all of Vache's literary output (a short story and a poem having been added to a later edition of the present work). The original wrappers have one small rub on the rear and the paper is mildly browned butstill crisp. One of 960 numbered examples (after the du tete of 10 on Japon and 30 on Hollande). Adverts for the Dada publication Litterature at the back of the book. VG+.

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.

29.3 x 21.5cm, 136pp. A rare copy of the important book 'Nemoguce - L'Impossible' from 1930 - the almanac/manifesto of the 13 strong Serbian surrealist group.  This was the first publication of this manifest (which was later reprinted in part in the first edition of 'La surrealisme au service de la revolution' in Paris). Breton, Eluard, Peret, Aragon, Char and Therion also gave contributions to this extremely important, defining, publication.

The Serbian contributors and signatories to this manifesto document included Aleksandar Vuco, Oskar Davico, Milan Dedinac, Mladen Dimitrijevic, Vane Zivadinovic - Bor, Zivanovic - Noe, Đordje Jovanovic, Đordje Kostic, Dusan Matic, Branko Milovanovic, Koca Popovic, Petar Popovic and Marko Ristic.

Some wear to spine on both sides and minor paper loss around edges, surface paper loss to spine affecting spine title, some evidence of water damage in the past especially on rear wrappers but internally mostly very good although a few of the last pages have underlines and markings in pen. Priced accordingly but very rare in any condition.

19.8 x 13.5cm. 16pp. Original wrappers. Letterpress. First Polish language edition of Breton and Eluard's critical Surrealist poetic manifest 'Notes sur la Poesie' (Paris, 1936). An unusually fine example of this rare document.