[Phoenix]

Phoenix. Published annually by the Adelaide University Students' Representative Council. 1935. [Together with the issues for 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1948, 1949 and 1950 - the complete set of nine volumes]

Adelaide, Adelaide University Union, 1935 to 1948, and Adelaide University Students' Representative Council, 1949 and 1950.

Large octavo (1939, 1949 and 1950) and octavo (the other six volumes), variously 60-110 pages with illustrations plus plates (in the pre-war years and 1949).

Overlapping black card covers printed in red and yellow (1935-48), and flush-cut three-colour wrappers (1949 and 1950); minimal signs of use and age, with more significant blemishes as noted (1935: top corner of the front cover and the first 20 leaves a little creased, with the extremities slightly chipped // 1936: front cover slightly marked, head and front of the spine slightly chipped // 1937: minor loss to the head of the spine // 1938: minor loss to the foot of the spine, head of the spine chipped, bottom portion of the front joint split // 1946: covers a little rubbed and sunned, with the head and foot of the spine slightly chipped); overall a very good set.

'Phoenix' supplanted 'The Adelaide University Magazine'; in turn, it was supplanted by 'Angry Penguins' during the war years. The post-war issues generally do not compare with those from the 1930s, which contain illustrations (often linocuts or woodcuts) by Dorrit Black, John Dowie, May Voke and Rex Wood, and literary contributions by Max Harris, Flexmore Hudson, Rex Ingamells, Geraldine Jay, Charles Jury, Donald Kerr and Paul Pfeiffer (among others). The issue for 1949 is the post-war stand-out, with contributions by Andrew Abbie, Brian Elliott, Max Harris, Charles Jury, Hal Porter, Orde Poynton, Thorburn Brailsford Robertson and Geoff Wilson (assorted artwork, including the front cover). [9 items].