Online archive of almost 250 issues of Black Flag, a UK-based class struggle anarchist newspaper and magazine founded in 1971.
Libcom also hosts a gallery of Black Flag cover art here.
Chronology
Black Flag began life as the Bulletin of the Anarchist Black Cross in 1968.
The Bulletin was renamed Black Flag at volume 2 issue 1 in January 1971.
The Bulletin was originally intended to note the activities and existence of the Black Cross, but the spread of anarchist activism in the sixties made us the focus. There was a demand for an anarchist newspaper, as Freedom had become increasingly bourgeois pacifist, partly because nobody else would work under the direction of Richards and his little group of self-styled intellectuals. When at a demonstration a policeman was alleged to have been injured falling off the horse on which he was dispersing the crowd, and the suggestion was made in Freedom that anarchists should get up a collection for him, the limit was reached. The former Cuddon’s group constituted itself into a Black Flag collective.
After the Bulletin became Black Flag we had many editors for the next twenty odd years, at one time rotating the editorship per issue. Apart from a few of these issues I remained one of the editors throughout. Stuart [Christie] remained an editor for the first five years, but so far as the press or the know-all academic twits are concerned, he remains so to this day. His brief summer of notoriety had made him a historically referable person in spite of their trying to write him off at the same time.
Albert Meltzer - I Couldn't Paint Golden Angels (1996, chapter 13)
A format/schedule summary
Volume 1: 1968-1970. Bulletin of the Anarchist Black Cross.
Volume 2: January 1971-January 1973. 15 issues. Monthly. Black Flag - Bulletin of the Anarchist Black Cross.
Volume 3: March 1973-April 1975. 19(?) issues. Monthly. Black Flag - Organ of the Anarchist Black Cross.
Volume 4: May 1975-1977 15 issues. Monthly.
Volume 5: July 1977-January 1980. 13 issues. Monthly.
Volume 6: March 1980-June 1982. 12(?) issues.
Volume 7: 1983-1985 Initially monthly and then fortnightly newsletter (Issue 2a, 2b etc). Black Flag: Anarchist Fortnightly. Plus Quarterly Magazine. Black Flag: Journal of Anarchist Ideas, News and Comments.
Numbered issues - #128 1985 onwards. No "Volumes". Black Flag: For Anarchist Resistance.
Issue 201 November 1990.
Issue 202 November 1991.
Issue 203 Autumn 1993. Relaunch as quarterly magazine with glossy two colour cover.
Issue 218 1999. Full colour cover. Annual or biannual from then on.
Issue 226 2007. Relaunch with new collective. Black Flag.
Black Flag was relaunched as an online journal in March 2021: https://www.blackflag.org.uk/
Missing from our archive:
vol 07 2g
vol 07 4f
vol 07 4g
vol 07 6a #112.
Please leave a comment if you are able to help with copies of any of these issues.
We are unclear if any of these were published:
vol4 - anything after #15?
vol5 - anything after #13?
vol6 - anything after #12?
vol 07 1a-g?
With thanks to Sparrows Nest Archive, Splits and Fusions Archive, The Freedom Archive (USA) and Kate Sharpley Library.
Comments
tried search englines for
tried search englines for black flag - took me quite a while to get anything related to anarchism. is there no limit to conspiracy theories?
For your interest the The
For your interest the The Sparrows' Nest Library and Archive has some digitised snippets from 1984-85 due to a visit by a researcher interested in The Miners' Strike and contemporary events. Search on Black Flag in online catalogue for these.
Also we are just about to digitise Vol 1 (then called Bulletin of the Anarchist Black Cross) and 2 (1969-1973).
See our BF page: http://thesparrowsnest.org.uk/index.php/14-news-and-events/103-black-flag-archive where you can see the list of our physical collection. Any gaps you can fill are gratefully received.
Quick note: Issues from
Quick note: Issues from 2010-2018 were on flag.blackened.net, however that has now gone offline. Fortunately it's still up at archive.org
I had a bit of time tonight
I had a bit of time tonight and so added issue 210 from the archive.org link.
http://libcom.org/library/black-flag-210
There are a few subsequent edits submitted including a better image. Let me know if there is anything wildly wrong with the edited version (after it's been moderated) :)
Worth bearing in mind that AK has better cover images of the issues at the archive.org link:
https://akuk.com/index.php?_a=category&cat_id=53&page=all
Also covers here:
Also covers here: https://libcom.org/gallery/black-flag-magazine-covers
I'm gradually adding the flag.blackened.net ones as text.
there are some PDFs from the 70s here too:
https://search.freedomarchives.org/search.php?s=black+flag
I'll get to them eventually as well.
Great stuff! There's a few
Great stuff! There's a few others at https://archive.org/search.php?query=black%20flag as well I think, and a bunch at the Sparrows' Nest http://thesparrowsnest.org.uk/search.php?query=black+flag&logic=and&digital=0&digital=0&digital=1, mostly mid-80s.
Fantastic Fozzie, thanks!
Fantastic Fozzie, thanks!
Well if Freedom is going to
Well if Freedom is going to have a comprehensive online archive, Black Flag needs to have one too right?
Future students of intra-anarchist squabbles of the late 20th Century will thank us all for this! ;-)
OK I'm pretty sure that's
OK I'm pretty sure that's everything from archive.org and https://search.freedomarchives.org/search.php?s=black+flag added.
Fozzie, this is brilliant and
Fozzie, this is brilliant and much appreciated, both for the future students of intra-anarchist squabbles and beyond!
I'd forgotten what a great
I'd forgotten what a great mag it is, so it was a fun thing to go back over old issues... :)
Not strictly my kind of
Not strictly my kind of publication, its revolutionary credentials and dedication to militant, non-passive anarchism and dedication to the most militant elements of anarch-syndiclsim and class struggle are beyond dispute.
A "must read" for those interested in anarchism,anarchist and revolutionary class movements, class war prisoners and anarchist history.
lots of covers in our sister
lots of covers in our sister page...
with thousands more to follow
https://www.facebook.com/Anarcho-Covers-1437009556596154/
That is a very cool page -
That is a very cool page - nice work.
The comdrades at The Sparrows
The comdrades at The Sparrows Nest have scanned in most issues from vols 1-4:
http://thesparrowsnest.org.uk/index.php/14-news-and-events/165-new-additions-to-the-digital-library-sep-2018
Good progress with this. If
Good progress with this. If anyone can lend me the following issues (or older ones) I will scan them in and return them in good condition:
206*
208*
209*
221
*Parts of these issues are on Libcom in text form, but it would be good to have the whole thing.
Otherwise it'll be a job for other archives like Sparrows Nest...
I've added a few issues from
I've added a few issues from Sparrows Nest and there is now a geeky summary of the history of the mag on this page too that people are welcome to correct or add to.
Nice one! I feel like one of
Nice one! I feel like one of the 1970s issues would be a better illustration of the mag as a whole than my 2010 computer screen from when I was uploading the later versions btw ;).
149 issues now, although a
149 issues now, although a handful are partial text only ones.
Edit - July 2021 - 161 issues.
In memory of Stuart Christie
In memory of Stuart Christie and Albert Meltzer
Two comrades who dedicated their lives in the advancement of a militant, antifash. class struggle anarchism
Over 200 issues now...
Over 200 issues now...
Amazing stuff!
Amazing stuff!
Missing from Libcom archive:…
Missing from Libcom archive:
Vol. 07 3a, Vol. 07 4a, 134, 145, 174-178, 180-182, 184, 186-188, 190-197, 209*, 211*, 214*, 217*, 221. (*We have parts of these issues).
Please leave a comment if you are able to help with copies of any of these.
Nice work, Fozzie. Hope to…
Nice work, Fozzie. Hope to see a full house soon.
So that is 241 issues on…
So that is 241 issues on Libcom now. Or perhaps 231 issues of Black Flag, one unnumbered "Marxism Special" issue and 9 issues of the predecessor Bulletin of the Anarchist Black Cross.
The final issue of Black Flag to be published was number 237.
My contact at Kate Sharpley Library is reasonably confident that the following exist:
vol 07 2g
vol 07 4f
vol 07 4g
vol 07 6a #112
But is not sure that these were ever published:
vol4 - anything after #15?
vol5 - anything after #13?
vol6 - anything after #12?
vol 07 1a-g?
Anyone who can help with confirmation (or not) of that would be welcome to contribute to this thread.