Sims Reed Rare Books×

Mr. Knife, Miss Fork

Ernst, Max. Boyle, Kay & René Crevel, (Trans.)

Paris. The Black Sun Press. 1931
An excellent copy of the édition de tête of Mr. Knife, Miss Fork with Max Ernst's frottage photograms.

From the edition limited to 255 stamp-numbered copies, with this one of 50 large paper édition de tête copies on Hollande signed by Crevel on the half-title in blue ink and by Ernst on the frontispiece photogram in black and with the binding hand coloured by Ernst.

The English translation of of the first chapter of René Crevel's 'Babylone', 'Monsieur Couteau, Mademoiselle Fourchette', first published by Editions Simon Kra in 1927.

'Although it is usually said that Ernst collaborated with Man Ray to make 'photograms' of his frottages, it is more accurate to call them 'cliché-verres' ... Ernst's rubbings (from the embossed patterns on greetings cards, postcards, bookcovers, etc.) were done on very thin, translucent pieces of paper, which were then used as photographic negatives to make the prints. The white-on-black images do a fine job of representing the dark visions of death and desire that come to the girl in Crevel's story ... '. (The Book of 101 Books).

'Buch mit 19 eingehefteten Photogrammen von Frottagen, in Zusammenarbeit mit Man Ray ... Die Photogrammen sind Negativkopien von Frottagen ... '. (Spies).

[Spies 13, I - XIX; Roth, 'The Book of 101 Books' pp. 66 - 67].
[45 leaves: 26 leaves of Hollande + 19 leaves of illustration on photographic paper each with guardleaf; pp. 38, (i), (i)]. 8vo. (184 x 126 mm). Leaf with monochrome photogram frontispiece signed in black ink by Max Ernst, half-title with Crevel's signature in blue ink, printed title in red and black with knife and fork vignette and Kay Boyle's English trasnlation of Crevel's French text illustrated with 18 hors texte original monochrome full-page photograms by Max Ernst (in collaboration with Man Ray), each with tissue guard-leaf with printed title in red, leaf with justification, blank leaf and final leaf with list of Black Sun publications; printed text in English with pagination, photogram titles and initials in red throughout. Original blind and gilt-stamped cloth with hand-colouring after a design by Ernst, knife and fork design on spine, black endpapers, t.e.g., black calf-backed felt-lined moiré cloth board chemise with gilt titles to spine and matching slipcase.
#47323

Other Items

Où Boivent les Loups
André Breton's copy of the rare édition de tête on Japon Nacré with a long presentation from Tzara and Max Ernst's frontispiece etching in three states.
£55,000
Ernst, Max. Tzara, TristanOù Boivent les Loups1932
Original collage for La Brebis Galante
Original signed collage by Max Ernst for La Brebis Galante.
£37,500
Ernst, MaxOriginal collage for La...1949
Les Malheurs des Immortels révélés par...
An excellent unsophisticated copy from the édition de tête, limited to 10 copies on Madagascar, of the second edition of the seminal collaboration marking the boundary between dada and Surrealism.
£2,500
Ernst, Max. Eluard, PaulLes Malheurs des Immortels...1945
Les Malheurs des Immortels révélés par...
Iliazd's presentation copy - with a double presentation from both Max Ernst and Paul Eluard - of the first edition of the seminal collaboration marking the boundary between dada and Surrealism.
£8,500
Ernst, Max. Eluard, PaulLes Malheurs des Immortels...1922
Original collage for La Brebis Galante
This collage was not included in the book published by Les Editions Premières with text by Benjamin Péret.
£28,000
Ernst, MaxOriginal collage for La...1949
La Femme 100 Têtes
The first part of Max Ernst's trilogy of collage novels: La Femme 100 Têtes.
£5,500
Ernst, MaxLa Femme 100 Têtes1929
L'Art de Voir de Guillaume Tempel
A very fine copy in the original printed envelope of the very scarce Iliazd and Ernst collaboration to mark the publication of Maximiliana.
£4,500
Ernst, Max. IliazdL'Art de Voir de...1964, 21 avril
Je Sublime
Maurice Heine's presentation copy of the collaboration featuring Max Ernst's colour frottages with Benjamin Péret's verse: 'Je Sublime'.
£35,000
Ernst, Max. Péret, BenjaminJe Sublime1936. 30th June, 1936
Rêve d'une Petite Fille Qui Voulut...
Max Ernst's second collage novel 'Rêve d'une Petite Fille Qui Voulut Entrer au Carmel', a very good copy in the original turquoise wrappers.
£4,500
Ernst, MaxRêve d'une Petite Fille...1930
Max Ernst Retrospektive zum 100 Geburstag
Leaflet accompanying the exhibition Max Ernst Retrospektive zum 100 Geburstag held at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen from the 28th of August to the 3rd of November 1991.
£15
Ernst, MaxMax Ernst Retrospektive zum...1991