Broadside [magazine] Issues 1-49

[DYLAN, Bob, and others] Edited by Sis Cunningham, Gil Turner, and Pete Seeger

Edité par Broadside (Sis Cunningham, et al), New York, 1962

A propos de cet article

Quarto. 49 issues, not stapled in this case, but bound into contemporary clasped binders, with two punch holes throughout. A mimeographed Index, alphabetized by song title, appears at the front of each volume. NOTE: Most of the front and rear covers for each issue are printed on a slightly heavier cream cardstock, presumably used for issues sent to libraries, or perhaps they were done slightly later. The cover designs are exactly as used on the regular issues, although it's possible that in a few cases, there was content printed on the verso of the cover that is not present here. The internal contents are on the same paper as we've seen in other examples of "Broadside." Aside from the punch holes, which affect the occasional letter at the margins, all elements are in fine condition. "Broadside" was a deeply influential magazine in New York's folk music scene, and with the culturally engaged political left. Its very first issue, in February 1962, contains the lyrics for "Talking John Birch," and thus represents the first appearance of Bob Dylan in print. (The only near-contemporary item is a pamphlet entitled "Talking Folklore Center," which was issued sometime in 1962. A recent auction record for Dylan's manuscript lyrics for that concert at the Folklore Center is dated March 19, 1962, which seems to confirm that the "Broadside" apperance predates the "Talking Folklore Center" pamphlet by at least a month.) "Talking John Birch" was intended to appear on Dylan's debut album (released in April 1962), but the song was suppressed by Columbia records for predictable reasons. Dylan, who was exploding with good, new material at the time, replaced it and three other songs in the final months before the album's release. "Broadside" was a lively cultural document, deeply engaged inthe Civil Rights movement, alongside a steadfast and sometimes incendiary opposition to America's involvement in the Cold War, which was at a fever pitch during the two years represented by the issues offered in this run. Pete Seeger's role as "Advisory editor" is evident, as there is a good mix of politically engaged folk music from around the world represented here. Many of the major figures of New York's folk scene are present; among these are Seeger, Theodore Bikel, Phil Ochs, Malvina Reynolds, and Tom Paxton. Other groups and individuals with contributions include Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Farina, the late Ethel Rosenberg, Oklahoma Civil Rights Fighters, and Martin Luther King, Jr., among many others. The mimeographed sheets have a rough-and-ready texture that perfectly matches the frequent drawings and handwritten titles. All of these elements represent a clear foundation for the later "zines" that came out of the counterculture movements of the later 1960s. "Broadside" was highly ephemeral in nature, and several anthologies were produced in the 1960s, which gathered the "best" material from the magazine. These factors have presumably led to very few substantial runs being held by institutions. In fact, according to OCLC, the only lengthy run is held by, of all places, the Bibliotheque Nationale de France (although we also know of a complete run held by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill). Individual issues do sometimes appear in commerce, including the very first issue, which retails not all that far south of the price we are asking for the entire run here, priced much lower than we would otherwise due to the different covers used on most issues. Regardless, an uncommon chance to own an important piece of Bob Dylan history, and of folk music history generally.

N° de réf. du vendeur 12663

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Broadside [magazine] Issues 1-49
• Éditeur: Broadside (Sis Cunningham, et al), New York
• Date de parution: 1962
• Édition: First Edition.
• État de l'article: Fine
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • Music