Catalogue 63 New Century Antiquarian Books Late Spring 2012
Catalogue 63 New Century Antiquarian Books Late Spring 2012
Catalogue 63 New Century Antiquarian Books Late Spring 2012
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[12] MacMAHON, T. “late A.IF.”<br />
Tales of the Diggers Old and <strong>New</strong> [wrapper title]. No imprint but<br />
Sydney, printed by Geo. E. Nye, Petersham, [for the Author], n.d. but<br />
1940s. Octavo, pp. [32]; cheap paper evenly tanned, some general use, a<br />
very good copy in original titling-wrappers. $110<br />
An uncommon and ephemeral piece. This pamphlet genre, comprising<br />
anodyne humour and anecdotes of active service, was first published in the<br />
course of and just after the First World War. They were printed for individual<br />
disabled returned servicemen to be hawked around by them as a means to earn<br />
a livelihood. Often the pamphlets were personalised with the name of the<br />
serviceman for whom they were printed, as in the present example. It is<br />
doubtful that the servicemen named provided the text; certain, in fact. In some<br />
instances there is every reason to believe the named digger is fictitious,<br />
although the individual diggers selling these pieces were quite genuine.<br />
While these First A.I.F. pamphlets are individually extremely scarce, they are<br />
by no means uncommon as a genre. Second World War pieces printed for<br />
disabled servicemen are, however, rare as a genre and rare individually. The<br />
present “book was compiled by a Returned Soldier... By purchasing this book<br />
you are assisting Unemployed, Disabled Diggers. Thankfully yours, T.<br />
MacMahon, late A.I.F.” (first page). A similar but completely different 16-<br />
page piece, The Dismal Digger: Tales of the Diggers Old and <strong>New</strong>!, was<br />
published in Melbourne (Thornbury) around the same time; it also is<br />
personalised with the preface signed “Pts. G. Gilbert & J. Martin, late 2nd<br />
A.I.F.”<br />
The present piece is one of several otherwise apparently identical variants. It<br />
is, however, one hitherto unrecorded. Two other versions have text additional<br />
to the title on the front wrapper: “United We Stand” and “Season’s<br />
Greetings”, whereas the present piece has only the title and a rather naïve<br />
martial illustration. We have traced the book in only three institutional<br />
collections (National Library of Australia: “United We Stand” and “Season’s<br />
Greetings”; State Library of NSW: “United We Stand”; and Baillieu Library,<br />
The University of Melbourne, “Season’s Greetings”.
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