PROGRESS - NEWSPAPER OF THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY

This is a bound volume of the first 49 issues of the newspaper of the Progressive Party of the Transvaal, dated from September 1959 to November 1965. Folio bound in quarter leather with gilt titling on the spine. The first three issues were titled "The Progressive News" - issue one dated August 1959, announcing the formation of the "Progressive Group", and the second dated November 1959, announcing the formation of the Progressive Party with Jan Steytler as its leader. The third and last issue of Progressive News is dated April 1960. The newspaper was then renamed "Progress" - and bound in this volume are the first 46 issues of this newspaper dated from July 1961 to November 1965 and numbered 1 - 46. This thus appears to be a complete set, although the newspaper probably continued after 1965. The 3 issues of Progressive News and the first 13 issues of Progress are about small quarto in size and the remaining issues of Progress are narrow folio sized. The first few issues were 4pp. and this increased to 8pp. from issue 7 of Progress.

This collection documents the early years of the Progressive Party in detail and the first four years of Helen Suzman's sole representation of the party in Parliament. There is also much material on the political climate of the period.  I have been unable to find much literature on this publication, let alone any issues of it being offered for sale. This set was the property of Robin Harvey, who was an early and devoted member and worker for the party and who played an important role in the production of this newspaper. The penultimate issue of this set has an article "Totsiens Robin", announcing her departure from the Regional Office of the Party and thanking her for her contribution. The volume bears Ms. Harvey's ex-libris and signature on the ffep. It is possible that this bound set is unique and is at least extraordinarily uncommon. 

The condition is overall very good. The first issue of The Progressive news (2 leaves) has some heavy tape staining along the spine. Two leaves of Issue 15 have evidence of tape repair along their fore edge. There are a few closed tears, very occasional edge chipping and moderate browning of the pages as would be expected. However the condtion is amazingly good taking in to account the fragility of the paper and the ephemeral nature of the publication.