Album B is an album reprinted from the tribute book to René Crevel "feuilles éparses" published in 1965 under the direction of the publisher Louis Broder. The book printed 150 copies. The latter was published to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the death of René Crevel and is illustrated by 14 prints unsigned by the artists.

After the printing of the book, Louis Broder decides to publish a reprint of 50 copies which he calls Album B and gathering only the prints of the book but with some significant differences. The copies break down as follows: 35 copies numbered from 1 to 35 including that of the gallery numbered 1/35, 5 copies from I to V and 10 copies on Japanese paper from A to J.

1. Difference between album B and the book

Indeed, album B purchased by the gallery and which comes from the prestigious collection of Genevieve and Jean Paul Kahn, contains the 14 prints appearing in the book but reproduced with large margins (i.e. in larger format than those of the book). They are also all signed by the masters of modern art, with the exception of Wols and Oscar Dominguez. (examples of prints belonging to Album B, photos 4 & 5) : Joan Miro, Hans Bellmer, Max Ernst, Wifredo Lam, Alberto Giacometti, André Masson, Camille Bryen, Jean Arp et Man Ray.

The album A produced by Louis Broder in 50 copies, can be qualified as a portfolio in the sense that it includes not only the basic series of 14 prints but also different prints printed at crucial moments in the creative process of the artists. This porfolio has a folded cover (photo 8), it is contained in a gray canvas publisher's box with a label stuck on the back and the front cover. It includes proof of print guaranteeing the number of copies and the list of artists who contributed to this Album (photo 9).

Some albums, and in particular ours which is Album B that Louis Broder had reserved for himself (later purchased by Genevieve and Jean-Paul Kahn from the latter), have therefore been enriched in addition to the 14 prints by 2 additional prints by Miró, 1 by Masson and 1 by Ernst.

Of Swiss origin, Louis Broder was an enigmatic and controversial figure in the world of publishing from the 1950s to the 1970s. He was undoubtedly the publisher who best knew how to exploit the new medium represented by the "painter's book". Its recipe for success: modern typography and texts by renowned authors illustrated by the greatest painters. There are around ten books published by him, including works by Antonin Artaud, René Char, Robert Desnos and René Crevel, most of which are divided into two collections, "Writings and engravings", and "Mirror of the poet". In addition, the gallery owns a copy edited by Louis Broder of the "Tir à l'arc". Highlighted by Georges Braque" published in 165 copies in 1960. We also have on the same principle as album B, Album A reprinted from the book "a poem in each book" by Paul Éluard and illustrated by Jean Arp, André Beaudin, Georges Braque, Marc Chagall, Oscar Dominguez, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Valentine Hugo, Henri Laurens, Fernand Léger, André Masson, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, Yves Tanguy et Jacques Villon.