ELUARD, Paul. Poésie et Verité 1942: Poetry and Truth 1942…Translated by Roland Penrose & E.L.T. Mesens.

London: Gallery Editions, 1944.

4to. (210 x 145mm.). pp. 43 [5]. Lithographic portrait of Eluard after Man Ray, printed on Bristol paper, deckled edges. Signed by Penrose and Mesens on recto of final leaf. A few pages very lightly and unobtrusively browned, otherwise fine. Publisher’s original orange paper wrappers printed in black, very lightly bumped at top and bottom edges, with the publisher’s blue paper chemise printed in black (usually missing), a little faded at spine and edges, upper joint with long split but holding, small chips to head and foot of spine and extremities of folds, but generally very well preserved. Provenance: George Melly, inscription in brown ink in blank portion of half title.

FIRST EDITION, ONE OF 500 COPIES SIGNED BY PENROSE AND MESENS, GEORGE MELLY’S COPY of Eluard’s great collection of Resistance poetry. It includes the famous poem ‘Liberté’, first published in Algiers in 1942. It presents the poems in a bi-lingual format, in French on the left, and in Penrose and Mesens’ English translation on the right. Mesens (1903-71), a Belgian writer and Surrealist, helped organise the 1936 Surrealist Exhibition in London, as well as running the London Bulletin from 1938-40, the most influential of the English Surrealist periodicals. He also collaborated in running the London Gallery with Penrose, and was a friend of Melly’s, who published a biography of him in 1997. Penrose and his second wife, Lee Miller, lived briefly at 21 Downshire Hill in Hampstead before moving to Farley Farm, and Gallery Editions occupied the next-door house (no.23). Melly (b. 1926) is a noted Jazz musician, critic and lecturer on Surrealism, who (at 80 years of age) is still touring, with Digby Fairweather’s band.

Excéllent exemplaire, conservant sa chemise bleue, d’édition originale de cette traduction par Penrose et Mesens de ‘Poésie et Liberté 1942’ par Eluard. Avec un portrait de l’auteur aprés Man Ray. Signée par les deux traducteurs, un de 500 exemplaires, l’exemplaire de George Melly, musicien de jazz et ami de Mesens.