Archive of Bay Area Communist Party Materials
San Francisco: Multiple publishers, 1939. Very Good. Item #48753
San Francisco: multiple publishers, 1939–1991. Sixteen pieces of material related to the American Communist Party, including pamphlets, flyers, and periodicals. Several items toned and creased; a few instances of foxing. Very Good.
Small archive reflecting several decades of Communist Party activity in California’s Bay Area, including during the McCarthy Era.
The earliest items in this lot are copies of Fillmore Spotlight, an unrecorded hyper-local newspaper distributed by the Communist Party in San Francisco’s Fillmore District. A “Special Election Campaign Edition” of the paper urges readers to cast ballots for Communist-endorsed candidates. Also present are two translated articles originally published in Pravada, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Other materials are associated with the California Labor School (née Tom Mooney Labor School) (1942–1957), a grassroots continued education institution in San Francisco. Modeled after early twentieth century labor colleges, the School’s attendance declined after it appeared on Attorney General Tom C. Clark’s List of Subversive Organizations, which targeted communist fronts. Despite widespread skepticism and hostility towards the Communist Party during the late 40s and throughout the 50s, this archive offers evidence that the Party remained active and engaged.
Several items scarce in OCLC, a few not separately recorded.
Detailed inventory available upon request.
Price: $850.00