A remarkable association copy of an exceedingly scarce piece of publishing history, produced in the most unlikely spot
Number 10 of an edition limited to twelve copies, this copy being for Colonel N. P. Sellick, the meteorological officer responsible for Crawford's posting to Tristan.
4to; red half-leather with green cloth sides, lettered in gilt to upper cover; typescript list of copies produced mounted to front pastedown; editor's signed presentation inscription to flyleaf; stamps and signatures of Crawford and Woolley to title page; unpaginated; all thirty of the wartime papers under Crawford's editorship (printed recto), including two map supplements, with the editor's Tristan stamp and date of issue to verso in each case. Light wear and minor discoloration to cover; some fox spots. Very good condition.
The circumstances surrounding the publication of The Tristan Times, described on the title page as "The World's most unusual Newspaper, published on the World's Loneliest Island", are outlined by Allan Crawford in his books "Tristan da Cunha Wartime Invasion" and "Tristan da Cunha and the Roaring Forties". Crawford had conceived the idea of a locally produced paper after being posted to Tristan by Colonel Noel Parkin Sellick, recipient of this bound-up edition of his complete run. He enlisted the assistance of the naval officer in charge at Tristan, E. J. S. Woolley. Crawford provided local news, printed in the righthand column, while Woolley provided war news, gleaned from BBC radio reports and printed in the lefthand column.
"A Tristan's wealth is measured by the quantity of potatoes he possessed in his bins at the end of the 'digging' season, and potatoes were often used locally for barter and exchange. It was therefore decided that the islanders should buy their papers in potatoes and the sailors, well, every sailor carried one thing common almost to them all in his pocket, they would buy them with cigarettes. With the paper now placed on a 'financial' basis, production proceeded and on 6 March 1943 the first copy of the Tristan Times appeared on the island, their first newspaper." - Allan B. Crawford: Tristan Wartime Invasion, p. 140
This bound-up complete run from Crawford's term as editor is a remarkable association copy of an exceedingly scarce piece of publishing history, produced in the most unlikely spot. For a complete account of the story behind this book, please listen to this talk on the subject:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBm5cSnA6WM
- Jacket Condition: Not applicable
- Binding Condition: Very good
- Overall Condition: Very good
- Size: 4to
