Van Riebeeck Society. Complete First Series of Fifty Volumes

Fifty 8vo volumes, bound in the characteristic pale grey buckram, lettered in dark blue on the spines, and with the Society's device in dark blue to the upper cover in each case. Some flecking, stippling and light wear to the cloth in several volumes, a few of which have a faint damp-stain to the fore-edges of the boards; ownership hand-stamps or inscriptions to front endpapers in some volumes; moderate foxing in some of the books, others completely unfoxed. Overall, a good to very good complete compilation of the First Series. 

During the period of the First Series, the Society, which has few parallels worldwide (the Hakluyt Society being one noteworthy example) remained true to its foundation aim of publishing "primary sources in southern African history, which were inaccessible to the average South African." Several of the volumes are now exceedingly elusive. 

"Thus the Van Riebeeck Society was born, and on 29 August 1918 an inaugural meeting was held in the South African Library. Only fifteen people were present. A sign of the times is that no less than four of those present were titled. At this meeting, with Mr Merriman in the chair, Mr Jagger proposed that the Library's publication funds of 'some £160' should be handed over to the Van Riebeeck Society 'for the publication of South African Historical Documents'. It was decided that the annual subscription be ten shillings and life membership '£5 or more'. The first publication was to be the De Chavonnes and Van Imhoff already prepared for the press. The object of the Society was 'to print, or re-print, for distribution among the members and for sale to the public rare and valuable books, pamphlets and documents relating to the history of South Africa.' This clause remains unchanged in the 'Laws of the Society', to the present day." - Frank R. Bradlow: The Van Riebeeck Society 1918-1978.