Chemin de Croix en 50 Stations: de Compiègne a Gusen II en Passant par Buchenwald, Mauthausen, Gusen I (Stations of the Cross, in 50 Stations: from Compiègne to Gusen II via Buchenwald, Mauthausen and Gusen I)
Fontenay-aux-Roses [Paris]: F. Brouty, J. Fayard et cie, 1946. First edition. Softcover. Quarto. 112, [2]pp. Rebound in red pebbled 3/4 morroco over marbled paper boards. Spine with gilt lettering and raised bands.
Decorative red endpapers. Original illustrated front wrapper with black and blue lettering, bound in. This work is a powerful illustrated memoir by French artist Jean Bernard-Aldebert (aka Bernard-Aldebert, 1909-1974), about his time as a prisoner in five different Nazi concentration camps between 1944 and 1945.
After many years building a career as an illustrator, cartoonist and satirist, the artist's story took a tragic turn in November of 1943. After boldly and bravely creating a caricature of Hitler as a chimpanzee, in the August 1st issue of the French humor magazine Ric et Rac, Bernard-Aldebert was arrested by the Gestapo. Subsequently, in January of 1944 he was transferred to the Royallieu-Compiègne internment camp, and subsequently to Buchewald, then to Mauthausen, to the Gusen I camp, and finally to Gusen II, where he remained until liberation on May 5th, 1945. The author's text and images reveal the horrors to which prisoners were subjected in these camps, including brutal forced labor, starvation, sadistic torture, and violence. Although most known for a lighthearted and charming caricature style, the images here are anything but. While they bear some resemblance to artist's known style, these images are far more stark, grim and austere, being evocative of the emotional states of the figures depicted. Text throughout is accompanied on nearly every facing page, by a b/w reproduction after an original drawing by the artist, for a total of 50 images. They were drawn from a series of sketches created by Bernard-Aldebert, shortly after his liberation, which to this day offer invaluable visual and emotional insight to the what occurred in these camps.
Text throughout in French.
Binding with very minor rubbing to the head of the spine. Original wrappers lightly stained and smudged. Pages throughout quite clean with some sporadic light smudging to the margins. First few pages including the title page with a few smaller water stains as well. Images and text throughout are clean. Page 113 with light chipping to the top corner. Binding in near fine, interior in very good to very good+ condition overall. vg to near fine. Item #54556
Price: $750.00