DEVETSIL. REVOLUCNI SBORNIK. 1922.

Prague: Vortel, 1922

23.5 x 16cm. 202pp. Hard boards. Editors: Jaroslav Seifert and Karel Teige.  Profusely illustrated in b/w after works by Archipenko, Chagall, Grosz, Kisling, Leger, Modigliani, Survage, Teige, et. al. Original printed wrappers with central black circular emblem and bound into vintage plain brown and spien printed boards as issued. First edition of the manifest almanac of the vanguard revolutionist Czech ‘Devetsil’ group, as edited by the poet Seifert and the designer and theorist Teige.

Initiated in the Modern Cultural Union (Prague), ‘Devetsil’ was ground zero for all Czech artistic and literary avant-garde activity during the 1920’s and early 30’s, and was (according to Teige): ” a focus for socialist and revolutionary trends in culture”. Text contributions by Seifert, Teige, Nezval, Honzl, Goll, Biebl, et. al. + a short trilingual summary (German, French and Russian) of the group’s aims as appendix.

Some minor expert repairs and reinforcements to wrappers and some large stains to the rear covers, and the evidence of rough paper on the end papers where an ex-libris label has been removed before else a very good example of this crucial document. Rare.