The fictions of Arthur Cravan: Poetry, boxing and revolution

336 Pages·2019·15.547 MB·English

by  Dafydd Jones

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The fictions of Arthur Cravan

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The fictions of Arthur Cravan
Poetry, boxing and revolution
Dafydd W. Jones
Manchester University Press
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Copyright © Dafydd W. Jones 2019
The right of Dafydd W. Jones to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Published by Manchester University Press
Altrincham Street, Manchester M1 7JA
www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 5261 3323 6 hardback
First published 2019
The publisher has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for any external
or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not guarantee that any
content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Typeset in 10.5/12.5 pt ITC Century Std by
Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire
i Mam
yma, yn nheyrnas diniweidrwydd

vii
Contents
List of illustrations viii
Preface x
List of abbreviations xvii
Introduction 1
1 On the genealogy of Arthur Cravan 18
2 Enter Colossus 44
3 To be an American in Paris 70
4 ‘All words are lies’: Maintenant, April 1912–July 1913 107
5 ‘Life has no solution’: Maintenant, November 1913–April 1915 143
6 The vision of struggling movement: Barcelona 1916 198
7 ‘Pure affect’: New York 1917 222
8 Being as being, and nothing more 257
Conclusion 278
Index 303
viii
Illustrations
1 Captain Haddock at Geneva airport, in Hergé, Anturiaethau
Tintin: Cawl Erfyn Efflwfia (Tresaith: Dalen (Llyfrau) Cyf.,
2011), p. 42. © Hergé/Moulinsart 2019. xiv
2 Eduardo Arroyo, ‘Arthur Cravan avant et après le combat
avec Jack Johnson’, lead pencil on paper, 43 × 33.8 cm.
© Eduardo Arroyo, 1993. © ADAGP, Paris, and DACS,
London 2018. 2
3 Sir Otho Holland (Sir Oties Hollonde), ‘Pictorial Book of
Arms of the Order of the Garter’. © The British Library Board
(MS Stowe 594, folio 13). 19
4 Manifest of alien passengers for SS Kaiser Wilhelm der
Grosse arriving at Port of New York, 23 January 1907 (detail):
passenger no. 1, Mr Richard Jourdan; passenger no. 7, Mr
Fabian Lloyd. Courtesy of Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
Foundation www.libertyellisfoundation.org. 54
5 Fabian Lloyd, c.1908. Collection Marcel and David Fleiss.
Courtesy of Galerie 1900–2000, Paris. 63
6 ‘Les champions de boxe anglais de 1910’, La vie au grand
air, 26 March 1910, p. 208. Private collection, by permission. 82
7 Ernest La Jeunesse (self), in Roy Lear, Talentiers (1899),
facing title page. Private collection, by permission. 148
8 Maintenant no. 4, March–April 1914, cover. Copy in the
International Dada Archive, Special Collections, University
of Iowa Libraries. 153
9 Eugène Atget, Cabaret les Noctambules, ancien hôtel
d’Harcourt, 5 et 7 rue Champollion, 5ème arrondissement,
Paris. Collection Musée Carnavalet, Paris. © Musée
Carnavalet / Roger-Viollet. 164
10 Amedeo Modigliani, Portrait of a Poet (1914–15). Thaw
Collection. The Morgan Library and Museum.2017.176.
List of illustrations ix
Photographic credit: The Pierpont Morgan Library, New
York. 178
11 Robert Miradique (Arthur Cravan), untitled (c.1913),
watercolour. Private collection. Courtesy of Sotheby’s
France, Paris. 182
Illustrations
12 Jack Johnson vs Arthur Cravan at the Monumental,
Barcelona, 23 April 1916; photograph by Josep Maria Co i de
Triola. © Arxiu Fotogràfic Centre Excursionista de Catalunya;
Creative Commons. 208
13 Manifest of alien passengers for SS Montserrat arriving at
Port of New York, 14 January 1917 (detail): passenger no.
15, Lloyd, Avenarius F. Courtesy of Statue of Liberty & Ellis
1 Captain Haddock at Geneva airport, in Hergé, Anturiaethau Island Foundation www.libertyellisfoundation.org. 217
Tintin: Cawl Erfyn Efflwfia (Tresaith: Dalen (Llyfrau) Cyf., 14 ‘Arthur Cravan vs Jack Johnson’, The Soil, 4 (April 1917), 161
2011), p. 42. © Hergé/Moulinsart 2019. xiv and facing verso. Private collection, by permission. 226
2 Eduardo Arroyo, ‘Arthur Cravan avant et après le combat 15 Beatrice Wood, Béatrice et ses douzes enfants! (c.1917),
avec Jack Johnson’, lead pencil on paper, 43 × 33.8 cm. watercolour, gouache, ink and crayon on wove paper.
© Eduardo Arroyo, 1993. © ADAGP, Paris, and DACS, Philadelphia Museum of Art, gift of the artist, 1978–98-4
London 2018. 2 © Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts / Happy Valley
3 Sir Otho Holland (Sir Oties Hollonde), ‘Pictorial Book of Foundation. 238
Arms of the Order of the Garter’. © The British Library Board 16 Manifest of passengers for SS Florizel arriving at Port
(MS Stowe 594, folio 13). 19 of New York, 11 October 1917 (detail): passenger no. 13,
4 Manifest of alien passengers for SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Lloyd, Fabian; passenger no. 14: Frost, Arthur Jnr. Courtesy
Grosse arriving at Port of New York, 23 January 1907 (detail): of Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Foundation www.
passenger no. 1, Mr Richard Jourdan; passenger no. 7, Mr libertyellisfoundation.org. 244
Fabian Lloyd. Courtesy of Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island 17 Arthur Cravan, passport photograph, 1917–18. Collection
Foundation www.libertyellisfoundation.org. 54 Marcel and David Fleiss. Courtesy of Galerie 1900–2000,
5 Fabian Lloyd, c.1908. Collection Marcel and David Fleiss. Paris. 258
Courtesy of Galerie 1900–2000, Paris. 63 18 Littérature, new series, 11 and 12 (15 October 1923), 24–5.
6 ‘Les champions de boxe anglais de 1910’, La vie au grand Copy in the International Dada Archive, Special Collections,
air, 26 March 1910, p. 208. Private collection, by permission. 82 University of Iowa Libraries. 287
7 Ernest La Jeunesse (self), in Roy Lear, Talentiers (1899),
facing title page. Private collection, by permission. 148
8 Maintenant no. 4, March–April 1914, cover. Copy in the
International Dada Archive, Special Collections, University
of Iowa Libraries. 153
9 Eugène Atget, Cabaret les Noctambules, ancien hôtel
d’Harcourt, 5 et 7 rue Champollion, 5ème arrondissement,
Paris. Collection Musée Carnavalet, Paris. © Musée
Carnavalet / Roger-Viollet. 164
10 Amedeo Modigliani, Portrait of a Poet (1914–15). Thaw
Collection. The Morgan Library and Museum.2017.176.