Communist Party and Socialist Literature

This collection contains periodicals, pamphlets, leaflets and other printed papers, mainly issued by, or relating to the Communist Party and other related organisations, 1891 - 1959. Periodicals represented in the collection include The Communist International, 1929 - 1939; The Communist Review, 1921 - 1931; Discussion, 1936; Labour, 1939 - 1945; The Labour Monthly, 1926 - 1948; The Left Review, 1935; The Plebs, 1925, 1959; University Forward, 1942. The pamphlets cover a wide range of topics, from general commentary re. Communist philosophy and Socialism towards more specific matters of interest, such as the British Movement against War and Fascism, Imperialism, Scottish nationalism, working conditions, Trade Unions, and the Labour Party. There is also good coverage of international issues, in particular, commentary on the Socialist regimes in Korea, the Soviet Union, Hungary, Poland and other east European countries, and the Spanish Civil War.

James Milne and William Leslie, both of Aberdeen, were involved with Aberdeen Trades Council during the 1960s, James Milne serving as secretary in the period 1967 - 1968. James Clunie was elected Labour MP for Dunfermline in 1950.

The integrity of the 3 individual collections has been maintained. Periodicals are arranged alphabetically by title; pamphlets and other papers are arranged by author.

Open, subject to signature accepting conditions of use at reader registration sheet

See Archival History, above.

Descriptive list available in the Reading Room, Special Libraries and Archives, University of Aberdeen.

Very brief collection level description available on Aberdeen University Library Catalogue, accessible online http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/library/

No copies known

Subject to the condition of the original, copies may be supplied for private research use only on receipt of a signed undertaking to comply with current copyright legislation.

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Head of Special Libraries and Archives (e-mail: speclib@abdn.ac.uk ) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. Where possible, assistance will be given in identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

This material has been appraised in line with normal procedures

This collection of printed papers came to the University from three different sources, during the period Feb - Sept 1968. The first deposit of periodicals and pamphlets was made by James Milne, Secretary of Aberdeen Trades Council, in Feb 1968. Throughout 1967 and 1968, Aberdeen Trades Council was instrumental in facilitating the deposit of a large volume of local trades union records in the University. Communist Party literature, which had been collected by the Trades Council over a period of many years, was deposited as part of this process. William Leslie, of Aberdeen, deposited his own, smaller collection of literature in June 1968; and in Sept, ca 100 items collected by James Clunie, MP, were deposited via the Mitchell Library, Glasgow. (It is believed that these items are duplicates of those already held by the Mitchell Library). The three collections have been accessioned as one deposit, but the integrity of each is maintained in the arrangement of the records.

No accruals expected

GB 231 MS 3069: Communist Party literature, 1920s - 1965 GB 231 MS 2671: Miscellaneous trade union literature, 1939 - 1966

GB 231 MS 2270: Records of Aberdeen Trades Council, 1876 - 1955 GB 231 MS 2677: Records of Wick and District Trades Council, 1944 - 1967 GB 231 MS 2663: Records of Aberdeen City Labour party, 1947 - 1959

GB 231 MS 2640 - 2700; GB 231 MS 2879; GB 231 MS 2880; GB 231 MS 2984: Deposits of nineteenth and twentieth century records concerning Trade Union branches in Aberdeen and north-east Scotland.

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This material is original