[Raymond Radiguet]. Vers libres [Maquette manuscrite illustrée d’aquarelles originales de Rojan]. — [Paris]: s.n., 1925.

Title-page: VERS LIBRES | par | ? | {vignette} | AUX DÉPENS D’UN AMATEUR POUR | LE PROFIT DE QUELQUES AUTRES |  MCMXXV ||

Manuscript mock-up, 18 leaves on Arches wove paper, unpaginated, 250 × 195 mm, in red suedette wrappers with flaps, gilt ornament to upper cover. Entirely handwritten and illustrated with 26 original watercolours, unsigned but attributed to Feodor Rojankovsky (Rojan); the text is entirely handwritten in black India ink and illustrated with 26 original watercolours, unsigned but attributed to Feodor Rojankovsky (Rojan); the text is also in his hand. The illustrations include a decorated title-page, half-title, frontispiece, false title, and three double-page compositions, with the remaining images interspersed throughout the verses.

A bookplate of J.-P. Dutel is affixed to the front pastedown. Both front and rear flyleaves are each conjoined with an additional leaf: the front one is blank on both sides; the rear bears the manuscript justification on the recto and is blank on the verso, and remains adhered to the rear cover. The front flyleaf is now detached.

The handwritten justification reads: Cette plaquette de vers entièrement manuscrite | est réservée à quelques rares | bibliophiles. | tous les exemplaires sont | revêtus pour les authentiquer | du cachet de l'éditeur | Leur nombre a été limité à 75 | exemplaires | tous sur | vélin | Arches | {cachet triangulaire ŒUVRE *** EΡΩΣ} | EXEMPLAIRE N° VI. | OFFERT À MONSIEUR (This entirely hand-written booklet of verses | is reserved for a few rare | bibliophiles. | All copies are | authenticated | by the publisher’s stamp | Their number has been limited to 75 | copies | all on | vellum | Arches | {triangle stamp ŒUVRE *** EΡΩΣ} | COPY No. VI | PRESENTED TO MONSIEUR)

No printed edition based on this maquette was ever realised. Instead, Rojankovsky later took a copy of the unillustrated first edition published by René Bonnel in 1926 (Vers libres, Dutel 2590) and enriched it with original watercolours, producing the first illustrated version around 1933 (Dutel 2592). As noted in Dutel 2591, this manuscript likely represents an early and ultimately abandoned attempt to publish an illustrated edition of Radiguet’s verses.

Note:
This manuscript does not appear in any institutional catalogue or public auction record consulted to date, and no mention of this specific copy has been traced in standard literature on Rojankovsky. However, a private communication from a specialist in French erotic bibliography confirms that the object corresponds to lot 116 in the Coulet & Faure catalogue no. 82 (mid-1980s), which describes:

« Ce petit livret in-4, en couverture en suédine rouge, entièrement manuscrit, orné de 26 jolies aquarelles libres, constitue une première tentative d’illustrations de Rojan, qui seront reprises dans l’édition de Champigny. »

“This small in-4 booklet, in red suedette cover, entirely handwritten, decorated with 26 pretty free watercolour drawings, is a first attempt at Rojan's illustrations, which will be included in the Champigny edition.”

While the attribution remains unverified, the stylistic character of the watercolours and handwriting is consistent with early work by Feodor Rojankovsky (Rojan). Given that any author, printer, or publisher of erotic material faced legal prosecution in France before 1970, it is unsurprising that no publisher’s records or legal deposit information survive. This context may explain the lack of archival trace and supports the hypothesis of clandestine, pre-publication production.

1935 Rojan	1925 Mock-Up