A complete run of 23 issues in 20 fascicules (including three double issues, 17/18, 19/20, and 22/23) of the French socialist and pacifist art and literary journal, the eleventh issue from Janvier 1919 mistakenly numbered "Deuxième Cahier". Scattered illustrations. Octavo (7 3/8 x 5 1/2 inches). Original printed wrappers. Wrappers with some toning and scattered foxing, Juin 1919 issue with some mild staining and creasing to front cover, interiors with light even toning, overall very good. Paris: Librairie d'action d'art de la ghilde "Les Forgerons", 1917-1920.

La Forge was produced under the editorial direction of Luc Mériga (1895-1965), a French writer, socialist, and political activist. Already a member of the Jeunesses Socialistes, in 1911 Mériga cofounded with some friends 'la Ghilde des forgerons', a militant, intellectual, and artistic community who wanted to unite their socialist culture on the eve of World War I. In 1917, Mériga launched La Forge and clearly outlined his position with his poetical contribution to the first issue, a poem titled, "Rouge, couleur de vie".

A note to the reader at the start of the first issue reads, "La Forge groupera fraternellement une jeunesse qui n'a rien abdiqué de ses droits, pas même de ses espérances. Pour elle, la Raison et la Justice seront encore les plus grandes forces du devenir humain; pour elle, le pur génie devra sortir intact du cataclysme qui vouleverse actuellement le monde et trouble tant de consciences."

Contributions to the journal came from many noteworthy revolutionary figures, including Guillaume Apollinaire, Claude Aveline, Banville d'Hostel, Henri Barbusse, Dominique Braga, Jean Cassou, Benedetto Croce, Édouard Dujardin, Waldemar Georges, Albert Gelizes, Louis Lévy, Marcel Martinet, Charles Rappoport, Romain Rolland, Bertrand Russell, Jean Saint-Prix, Séverine, Marcel Sauvage, Georges Sorel, Charles Vildrac, and many others. Many issues also featured a couple of illustrations, with contributions coming from artists such as Gabriel Belot, Henri Boulage, Pierre Combet-Descombes, Léon Gaudeaux, Lucien Jacques, Ivan Lebedef, Jean Martin, Paul Moras, Louis Moreau, Maurice Robin, Edmond Rocher, and others.

Scarce institutionally; as of February 2026, OCLC locates only 4 scattered holdings of this journal in North American libraries, none of which appear to be complete runs.

Book ID: 53636

Price: $3,500.00