THE CAPE TOWN GAZETTE AND AFRICAN ADVERTISER 1806.

A unique (broken) unbound run of 27 issues of this early Cape Newspaper for the year 1806 in very good condition and preserved in a custom made linen lined Solander box with leather labels on the spine and front board. The issues present are: Volume 1, No's 6-8, 14-27, 29-32, 38 and 46- 50. The first one is dated Saturday, February 22nd. 1806 and the last on is dated Saturday, December 20th. 1806. Each issue comprises a single folded leaf ie. 4 pages, each page measuring 43x23cms. The first two pages are in English and pages 3 and 4 are in Dutch with the equivalent Dutch title : Kaapsche Stad Courant en Afrikaansche Berigter. Some issues have a loose single leaf Supplement inserted. 

Condition. The condition is generally remarkable for a newspaper over 200 years old. The issues have not been folded and are thus uncreased. Some issues have some staining and a few have some tears but all are complete and essentially without fraying but would still grade as very good. They are well protected in the custom made Solander box which is in very good condition with some mild soiling of the pale cream cloth. 

The Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser was South Africa's first newspaper, it was founded on 16 August, 1800 by two slave dealers, Alexander Walker and John Robertson. (Sometimes referred to simply as The Cape Town Gazette). Articles in English and Dutch.The title was changed briefly in 1803 to De Kaapsche Courant, as the Dutch had just taken the Colony from the British in 1802. When the British reoccupied the Colony in 1806, the English title was restored, but with the addition of the Dutch title, so it now read ponderously as The Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser = Kaapsche Stads Courant en Afrikaansche Berigter, a cumbersome usage that continued till 1826. The South African Library published a bound reprint of the first year's issues (1800-1801) in 1982. 

I have been unable to trace a similar unbound collection of this newspaper, in particular such an early run. A bound set from 1818-1819 was sold by Antiquarian Auctions on Sale 36, Lot 114, about 3 years ago, for $525. I would suggest that the collection on offer is one of a kind.