Small group of ephemera published by the British nuclear disarmament movement.

A fantastic collection of twenty-four ephemeral flyers and pamphlets, and one poster, tracing the history of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and its splinter group, the Committee of 100, during the 1950s and 60s. Including a rare, mimeographed publication by Spies for Peace on RSG 6; an unused Committee of 100 poster; an early flyer on the origin and meaning of the CND logo and the first ceramic badges; a booklet of talks by prominent women activists including Iris Murdoch; and a booklet illustrated by photomontage artist Peter Kennard. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was founded in 1957 and remains one of the largest and most influential anti-nuclear activist groups in the world. From the beginning it attracted the support of numerous public figures, and its striking logo became the internationally recognised 'peace sign'. The CND's most significant activity during the 1950s and 60s was its annual march from the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston to London. After a period of decline during the late 1960s and 70s, when attention shifted to the Vietnam War, the organisation saw a revival in the early 80s in response to US missiles being deployed in Britain. The most significant CND items in this collection are: 1. 'Britain and the Bomb: The Fallacy of Nuclear Defense', a twenty-page pamphlet by playwright and Labour MP Benn W. Levy (1900-1973), published in 1959. 2. Pottery badge flyer. The 'peace sign' was designed by artist and CND member Gerald Holtham (1914-1985) and was initially distributed in the form of white and black ceramic badges made by designer Eric Austen (1922-1999). This flyer explains the origin and meaning of the symbol. 3. Advice to Marchers flyers for the 1961 and 1963 Aldermaston marches, both a single sheet folded once. These provide details of the route and activities, do's and dont's, and recommended clothing and supplies. 4. Women Ask Why: An Intelligent Woman's Guide to Nuclear Disarmament' containing the text of three talks by novelist Iris Murdoch ('Morality and the Bomb'), developmental biologist and IVF pioneer Anne McLaren ('Genetic Effects of Radiation'), and archaeologist and peace activist Jacquetta Hawkes ('The Way Out'). The talks were presented at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster on January 15th, 1962. 5. An attractively designed flyer with geometric decoration advertising the Easter March of 1966, and which could be used to request more information by post. 6. 'No Nuclear Weapons' by Peter Kennard and Ric Sissons, published by Pluto Press in 1981. This forty-four page booklet is extensively illustrated by photomontage artist Peter Kennard (1949 - ), including his famous 'Haywain with Cruise Missiles' based on Turner's The Hay Wain. The Committee of 100 was a splinter group of the CND, founded by Bertrand Russell and other organisation leaders to engage in non-violent civil disobedience as a compliment the CND's non-confrontational approach. It quickly became successful, and the first event was a sit-down demonstration at the Ministry of Defence on February 18th, 1961 in which several thousand people took part. But debts, internal conflict, heavy-handed police action, and the shifting of focus to other causes took a toll. In 1962 the national organisation disbanded in favour of regional groups, of which the London branch was the most active. Russell resigned in 1963, and the committee as a whole was wound down in 1968. The most significant Committee of 100 items in this collection are: 7. Mimeographed hand-out dated February 11, 1961, providing details and advice for the Committee's first action on February 18th, 1961. It explains that 'the number of people pledged to participate in the sit-down. totalled 2,040 by this morning. Pledges are still being received at a rate of 40-50 per day and a large and effective protest is now assured.' Participants are advised to contact their local news outlets and to put up posters, accommodation is available at the S. …