Title from first page.

In French.

André Breton (1896 -1966) was a French writer and poet as well as co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism.

Jean de Gonet (born 1950) is a French designer and bookbinder.

VVV was a surrealist journal published in New York during World War II from 1942 to 1944.

Volume that contains an autograph manuscript of the speech "La Situation du Surréalisme entre les deux guerres," delivered by André Breton on December 10, 1942 to students in the French Department at Yale. The manuscript consists of eight pages in-folio on ruled paper and mounted on tabs, bound in a volume in gilt calf. Written in green ink, the working manuscript is extensively corrected. In the speech, Breton posits that "Surrealism can be understood historically only in relation to war" and discusses the movement in relation to World War I and World War II. The speech was published in March 1943 in volume 2-3 of the journal VVV, New York.

The volume case and binding were made by Jean de Gonet, 2004. On the front board of the bound volume, a grid of padded squares in iridescent gilt calf with the bottom middle square in blue with a silver stamped title: “Situation du surréalisme entre les deux guerres.” The bottom row is embossed with slanted lines in blue and silver. The back of the front board is lined in black nubuck, and at the bottom, in the center, a small gold stamp: “J.de Gonet. 2004”. A protective case lined in black nubuck contains the volume.

Art > Political aspects > Europe > 20th century.

Art movements > 20th century > History.

Authors, French > 20th century.

Bookbinding > France > 21st century.

Exiles > Political activity > United States > 20th century.

French literature > 20th century.

Poets, French > 20th century.

Surrealism > France.

Surrealism > United States.

Surrealism > Themes, motives > 20th century.

World War, 1914-1918 > Europe.

Europe > Intellectual life > 20th century.

United States > Intellectual life > 20th century.

Bookbinding (process)

Manuscripts (documents)

Speeches