Society of the Spectacle (Charles Radcliffe’s copy) [1970]

Debord, Guy. The Society of the Spectacle. Detroit: Black & Red, 1970. First English edition, first printing (1970). n.p. [120p.].; 21.5 x 13.5 cm.; B&W ill. wrappers.  Charles Radcliffe’s copy, with his ownership signature to title page and brief pencilled notes to last page.

Charles Radcliffe was a member of the English section of the Situationist International from December 1966 to November 1967. Guy Debord did not view Radcliffe’s contributions to the SI in a favorable light. In a letter to Robert Chasse dated 23 December 1967, he writes that “Radcliffe n’avait rigoureusement rien fait en dix-huit mois, et finalement avait amicalement formule sa démission a Chris…” (English: Radcliffe had done literally nothing in eighteen months, and had eventually handed his resignation to Chris [Gray] (Corrrespondance vol. 0, p. 338). Prior to joining the SI, Radcliffe had edited the short-lived but influential magazine Heatwave (1966-1967). The publication is lauded in the pamphlet De la Misère en Milieu Etudiant (On the Poverty of Student Life) in 1966: “One thinks here of the excellent journal Heatwave, which seems to be evolving toward an increasingly rigorous radicality”

Radcliffe maintains a website, which includes a short biographical sketch and links to his writings (http://charlieradcliffe.com/biography/).Radcliffe authored a (now sold-out) autobiography: Don’t Start Me Talkin’” – The Story of a Sixties Scapegrace.

Provenance: Charles Radcliffe, through the trade

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La Societe du Spectacle [1967] – Raoul Vaneigem’s copy

Debord, Guy. La Société du Spectacle. Paris: Buchet-Chastel, 1967. First edition, first printing (4eme trimestre 1967). 176 p.; 20.5 x 14 cm; White cover with text in black. Housed in a half-morocco slipcase black-lined with suede (Devauchelle), gilt-lettered spine.

Raoul Vaneigem’s copy, as evidenced by his signature on the half-title page. Laid-in is a small index card where Vaneigem writes: “D[ebord] – Ns avons tjrs progressé parallèlement, sans contact réel, sans affinité. Que mon indifférence à son égard ressemble désormais à un mépris amusé ne devrait pas changer le
processus.” In English: “D[ebord] – we have always followed parallel paths, without any true connection, without any intimacy. That my indifference towards him has now morphed into amused contempt should not change much”. On the back of the same index card is a short note by Jeppesen Martin, confirming the place and time of a meeting with Vaneigem.

Provenance: Raoul Vaneigem, through the trade.

Dans le décor spectaculaire…[Typescript]

[INTERNATIONALE SITUATIONNISTE]. Dans le décor spectaculaire ou le regard ne contre que les choses et leur prix. n.p.: n.p., n.d. [1967]. 3 loose sheets; 21.5 x 27.5 cm.; black ink on white stock.

Original typescript of the scenario for Andre Bertrand and Gerard Joannes’ detourned comics (see below), which served to announce the release of Internationale Situationniste #11. The unsigned text is attributed to Raoul Vaneigem.

As noted by Raspaud (120-21), two different versions of this poster were released in December 1967, each with a similar text but illustrated with different comics. The other version is the work of Gerard Johannes, and is reproduced by Gonzalvez (136).

Aux Poubelles de l’Histoire [1963]

INTERNATIONALE SITUATIONNISTE. Aux Poubelles de l’Histoire. Paris: Internationale Situationniste, 21 February 1963. Broadside, 94 x 64 cm. (folded to 47 x 32 cm.); black ink on white stock.

Large broadside issued by the Situationist International, collectively signed by the members of the Central Council (Michèle Bernstein, Guy Debord, Attila Kotanyl, Uwe Lausen, J. V. Martin, Jan Strijbosch, Alexander Trocchi, Raoul Vaneigem). It is comprised of two texts: 1) “Sur la commune″ (in English: “Theses on the Commune”), from 18 March 1962, signed by signed by Debord, Kotanyi et Vaneigem; and 2) “La signification de la commune″ (in English: “The Meaning of the Commune”) by Henri Lefebvre, published in the last issue of the Marxist periodical Arguments in late 1962 / early 1963. The two texts are shown next to one another, showcasing Lefebvre’s plagiarism of Situationist ideas. “Aux Poubelles de l’Histoire” is later reprinted in Internationale Situationniste 12, pp. 108-111.

This was not the first time the Situationist International had written against Arguments. In 1960, in Internationale Situationniste 5, the Council of the SI states that anyone who is found collaborating with Arguments from January 1, 1961 onwards is ineligible to join the group (see http://juralibertaire.over-blog.com/article-aux-poubelles-de-l-histoire-42294891.html). Likewise, Henri Lefebvre had been attacked by the SI numerous times before.

Raspaud 115. We locate 3 copies on OCLC (BnF, Jacques Doucet, Yale).

Theses on the Commune (Typescript) [1971?]

[DEBORD, Guy; KOTANYI, Attila; VANEIGEM, Raoul] GRAY, Christopher (trans.). [Sur la Commune] Theses on the Commune. n.p. [United Kingdom?]: n.p., n.d. [ca. 1971?]. n.p. [14 p. single-sided stapled sheets]; blue ink on thin white stock and black ink on thicker white stock.

Much of the bibliographical description below is directly borrowed from Andrew Sclanders’ excellent cataloguing work, as found here. We extend him our sincere thanks.

The original typescript (6 pages) of Christopher Gray’s English translation of Debord, Kotanyi and Vaneigem’s “Sur la Commune” (written March 1962,  reproduced in the tract “Aux poubelles de l’histoire” in February 1963, and reprinted in Internationale Situationniste 12 in September 1969) with his pencilled note and ink correction to the first page and humorous byline to the last page: “The Occult International of Hermetic Terrorists” (a reference to a critic’s description of Raoul Vaneigem’s “Banalités de base” as “a rather irritating form of hermetic terrorism”, later quoted approvingly by Vaneigem). The translation predates and differs significantly from the version published in Gray’s book, ‘Leaving the 20th Century’ (Free Fall, 1974).

This is accompanied by a second translation (4 pages), also by Gray, of the same text (‘Comments on the Paris Commune, 1871’) which differs from both the first typescript translation and from that found in “Leaving the 20th Century”

A third typescript (4 pages) is also included. Titled “Le Temps des Cerises: The Paris Commune (March 18 – May 28, 1871)”, it was made by Gray in preparation for the publication (though it possibly never was published) and features extracts from Louise Michel’s contemporary account of the Paris Commune. Michel, also known as “the red virgin of Montmartre”, was a revolutionary hero of the Commune who mobilised women in support of it and participated as an ambulance nurse and soldier.

Contre le Cinema – Typescript [1964?]

[DEBORD, Guy] JORN, Asger. [Contre le Cinéma] L’Institut Scandinave de Vandalisme Comparé présente… n.p. [Denmark?]: n.p., n.d. [ca. 1964?]. 48 p.; 21 x 29.5 cm.; black ink on single-sided stapled yellow and white sheets.

Typescript of Debord’s Contre le Cinéma, published by Asger Jorn in Denmark under the auspices of the Institut Scandinave de Vandalisme Comparé (Scandinavian Institute for Comparative Vandalism) in 1964. It reproduces the scripts of Debord’s first three films (Hurlements en faveur de Sade, Sur le passage de quelques personnes a travers une assez courte unité de temps, and Critique de la séparation)  as well as a preface by Asger Jorn (“Guy Debord et le problème du maudit”).

The text’s layout and typography are not the same as in Contre le Cinéma, no photographs are included, and the order in which the film scripts are presented also differs from the final version.

We are led to believe that this typescript originally belonged to Asger Jorn. It then made its way to Raphael Sorin at Editions Champ Libre, and was used to assist with the preparation of Guy Debord’s Oeuvres cinématographiques complètes (1978)

In Our Spectacular Society Where All You Can See…[1968]

[INTERNATIONALE SITUATIONNISTE]. [Dans le décor spectaculaire où le regard ne rencontre que les choses et leur prix…] In Our Spectacular Society Where All You Can See… n.p. [London, United Kingdom]: n.p. [King Mob], n.d. [1968]. Poster. Ill.; 49.5 x 34 cm. Offset, printed in black on white semi-gloss stock.

English language translation by King Mob of the original poster by Andre Bertrand, announcing the upcoming publication of Internationale Situationniste no.11. The unsigned text is by Raoul Vaneigem.

According to Andrew Sclanders from BeatBooks, “the poster was reproduced on the front cover of International Times #26 (February 16th, 1968) after numerous copies were found flyposted outside their office building on Betterton Street by “some Lone Anarchist Nite Marauder?” (Dick Pountain later claimed responsibility), and sections of it were published over three pages in Oz #10 (March 1968).”

We would like to add that the other version of the poster (as Raspaud notes, there were two version with the same text but different detourned comics) was reproduced in Berkeley Barb issue 140, vol.6, no.16, April 19-25, 1968.

We do not locate any copy in the trade or on OCLC. Not in Raspaud.

If You Believe You Have Genius [1955]

[Debord, Guy]. If you believe you have genius…Paris: Internationale Lettriste, n.d. [December 1955]. 8.7 x 13.5 cm.; black ink on yellow stock.

This small, bilingual (a French version also exists) leaflet was used by the Internationale Lettriste to recruit prospective new members. “If you believe you have GENIUS or if you think you have a BRILLANT INTELLIGENCE write the letterist Internationale”

Gonzalvez 98, Correspondance 0.56, Quarto 217. We do not locate another copy on OCLC

Interlude: British 68 at the Tate Britain

I had the opportunity to visit the pop-up exhibit on the British 68 at the Tate Britain. Significant material from King Mob and related groups. See below. Hat tip to Tanya Loi for telling me about this.