Lot Essay
Of the three typed letters from Noll, two are relatively brief. In his first letter of 26 May, Noll makes it plain that the poet is refusing to write more letters ("Il me charge de vous dire qu'il n'écrit plus de lettres") though he does agree to let Gondrexon publish a dedication. In the second and longest letter of 1½ pages, dated 2 July, Noll reaffirms that he is acting as go-between because Eluard has given up letter writing ("il y a assez longtemps qu'il n'écrit plus à personne, ni à ses amis"). Eluard would be glad to receive Gondrexon's books. It is probable that he will let Gondxrexon publish the manuscript of "Mourir De Ne Pas Mourir," and asks if a limited edition of his own poems that Gondrexon has already published can be forwarded. The third typed letter, dated 8 October, concerns the time of a meeting between the three men. All three letters are on notepaper of "La Révolution Surréaliste," decorated with a black swan and crab motif, and like the rest are preserved in their original envelopes.