Sims Reed Rare Books×

Paris. No. 1. Novembre, 1924. (All Published)

Albert-birot, Pierre & Roch Grey (Baronne Hélène d'Oettingen)

Paris. Est en vente chez Jean Budry. 1924
Pierre Albert-Birot's important and very scarce single issue Apollinairean Surrealist review.

'Paris', issued in a single number in 1924 by Pierre Albert-Birot, was issued the month after the publication of the first Apollinairean Surrealist manifesto (published on October 1st by Yvan Goll) and the first Bretonian Surrealist manifesto (published on October 15th). 'Paris' took the part of the Apollinairean Surrealists and opens with Roch Grey's analysis and impassioned defence of Apollinaire, his position and most crucially his definition of the term he had coined originally (see below). Roch Grey's contribution is dated 'Paris le 19 Octobre 1924, four days after the publication of Breton's manifesto. Also included are poems by Pierre Albert-Birot, 'Théâtre', a single page poem (present also as a single loose sheet for distribution), and 'Deux Poèmes': 'Poème Rose' recto and 'Ange' verso. The interior of the rear wrapper features an advertisement for 'Exposition de François Angiboult' in December 1924 at Galerie Percier featuring 'Etoffes Peintes [and 'Jeu de Cartes' and 'Tableaux Brodés'] pour parer les femmes, pour dissimuler les hommes, pour exaspérer la vie jusqu'au sublime'; François Angiboult was another pseudonym, like Roch Grey, for Hélène d'Oettingen. Pierre Albert-Birot's collection 'La Lune ou le Livre des Poèmes' is also announced for 'le fin Novembre' of the same year.

Guillaume Apollinaire had first made use of the neologism 'sur-réalisme' in the program notes to Erik Satie's 1916 ballet 'Parade' before he subtitled his own drama 'Les Mamelles de Tirésias', 'drame Surréaliste', in 1917. Despite Apollinaire's coinage, the word 'Surréaliste' did not enter common usage until the 20s and the issue of the various Surrealist manifestoes (in 1924), at which point intellectual controversy debated the definition of the word, whether Apollinaire was a Surrealist, the manner in which Surrealism differed from his Surrealism and so on. Breton (and his camp) took the view that Surrealism was new and utterly different to anything previous, while his opponents - equally loud in defence of Apollinaire but rather less antagonistic - among them Ivan Goll, Paul Dermée and Pierre Albert-Birot maintained that a school of Surrealism had existed since Apollinaire's coinage of the term. Debate and Breton's prevarications aside, the neologism is Apollinaire's and Surrealism would not have existed in any of the forms it took ultimately without him and without 'Les Mamelles de Tirésias'.

Roch Grey, was one of the several pseudonyms of Hélène Miontchinska, Baronne d'Oettingen (1878 - 1950), known also as Léonard Pieux or Jean Cérusse (as a writer) or Edouard or, as here, François Angiboult (as a painter).

'Guillaume Apollinaire, inventeur du mot 'surréalisme' n'en donna qu'une sensation assez vague, diffuse, dans la préface des 'Mamelles de Tirésias'. Quand un homme a voulu imiter la marche, il a crée la roue qui ne ressemble pas à une jambe - il a fait ainsi du surréalisme sans le savoir ... Son surréalisme pris dans ce sens, fouetté come une toupie dirigée sans but précis, mais toujours vers le régions de l'inaccessible, d'incrée, d'un inconcevable dans le passé, pourrait donner un essort momentané à une volonté créatrice toute neuve, qui l'abondonnant sur place comme un stimulant absorbé au hasard d'une rencontre, saurait prendre le chemin du dehors ... '. (Roch Grey)

Pierre Albert-Birot's poem 'Théâtre' is present here, in addition to the version in 'Paris' and in matching format, dimensions and typography, as a loose sheet of thin tan unwatermarked wove paper (244 x 188 mm); it appears to be either a proof or for distribution.

'Paris' is very scarce outside France and COPAC locates no copies in the UK; we locate copies in the US at Yale, Indiana and Michigan only.

[not in Le Fonds Paul Destribats].
[2 bifolia + inserted leaf]. Small 4to. (250 x 194 mm). Printed text in French recto and verso throughout. Stitched as issued in original blue publisher's printed paper wrappers with titles in gilt to front cover, advertisements in black to interior of rear cover.
#47996

Other Items

First Papers of Surrealism
An excellent copy of the seminal 1942 'Surrealism-in-Exile' exhibition catalogue.
£1,750
Duchamp, Marcel & André BretonFirst Papers of Surrealism1942
Le Mouvement Perpetuel. Poèmes. (1920 -...
The first edition of Aragon's second poetry collection, with original manuscript 'pensée'.
£1,250
Morise, Max. Aragon, LouisLe Mouvement Perpetuel. Poèmes...1926
Original collage for La Brebis Galante
Original signed collage by Max Ernst for La Brebis Galante.
£37,500
Ernst, MaxOriginal collage for La...1949
Le Phare de Neuilly. Revue Mensuelle...
An excellent complete set of Lise Deharme's very scarce 'Le Phare de Neuilly' with the final number in the even scarcer large paper édition de tête format.
£9,500
Miller, Lee, Man Ray, Brassaï et al. Deharme, Lise. (Directrice), Ribemont-Dessaignes, Georges (Gérant)Le Phare de Neuilly...1933
Le Feu Maniaque. Notice d'André Breton...
A unique copy of Gisèle Prassinos' 'Le Feu Maniaque' with original drawings and watercolours.
£7,500
Prassinos, GisèleLe Feu Maniaque. Notice...1944
La Parole est à Péret
Benjamin Péret's text with an original drawing by Matta.
£3,750
Matta, Roberto. Péret, BenjaminLa Parole est à...1943
Der Pyramidenrock
First edition of Arp's poems.
£2,250
Arp, HansDer Pyramidenrock1924
Le Marteau sans Maître
The édition de tête of the first edition of René Char's collection with Wassily Kandinsky's original frontispiece etching and bound by Georges Leroux.
£27,500
Kandinsky, Wassily. Char, RenéLe Marteau sans Maître1934
La Dernière Nuit
An exceptional copy of Eluard's 'La Derniere Nuit' with illustrations by Laurens.
£3,750
Laurens, Henri. Eluard, PaulLa Dernière Nuit1942
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