Hutchinson Internment Camp, Isle Of Man, 1940. Item #43530

1st edition. Original Mimeographs with staples, legal size (4to), 7 double-sided leaves.
Includes essays, stories, poetry, and camp news, with most creators identified only by their initials.
This issue features a cover cartoon of a boxing ring, with Hitler trying to revive a KO’d Mussolini, a victorious “Greek” boxer in the other corner assisted by his coach. The cartoon references the Greek military expulsion of Fascist Italy from Greece in November 1940. The title reads,

“The Heavy-Weight-CHAMPIONSHIP
Adolf- I believe this Greek has an English Trainer”

"The Camp" was a newsletter produced by the inmates of Hutchinson Internment Camp in Douglas, Isle of Man. Hutchinson was one of several prisons established during World War II on the Isle of Man to intern Britain's enemy aliens. Hutchinson, in particular, was known for its "artistic" inmates, many of whom were well known, such as Kurt Schwitters and Fred Uhlman. See: Chappell, Connery. Island of Barbed Wire. (London: Hale, 1984);
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutchinson_Internment_Camp

Contents include:
- “Freedom (continuation)” an essay by Ulli Hirsch (This was his copy)
- “Peter feeds pigeons and seagulls,” by Peter Zlunder (?), with illustrations by “DOL
- “Behind the Scene,” by O.H. Scholz, an explanation of how the camp canteen operates
- “Camp Officials Outing,” by M.C. about a “guarded” outing through the area villages and countryside
- “The Stars Look Down,” by H.F.A: “One of the things Internment did not take away from us, nay, which it gave to us in an improved condition is the spectacle of the nightly sky.”
- “Going to it,” by H.F.A. A bit of camp news, about a new laundry, work on a new hall, etc.
- “Punsh (for children),” by M. Corvin, a short Punch and Judy play which was going to be performed but “had to be cancelled.”
- “Barbed Lyric,” by K.E.H. A poem about an artist’s barbed-wire sculpture
- “Epilogue,” by K.E.H. A poem about an art exhibition at the camp, with illustrations by G.K.

Indeed, the camp’s most famous resident was dada artist Kurt Schwitters; another issue we have examined (Issue Nr. 8) includes a front page announcement of the second Art Exhibition which will include “The Story of the Flat and Round, painted by Schwitters.” One online essay on Schwitters' time at Hutchinson Camp (see
fampeople.com/cat-kurt-schwitters_6) suggests he contributed an article to the “The Camp” in December 1940–possibly this issue?–but we could not locate the article.
br>Scarcity:

We located only on listing on OCLC which at first glance appears to list actual holdings (OCLC: 613336283, at 2 libraries in Germany). However, a note in the record indicates “Repr.: London: Wiener/ Hrsg.: Freimut Schwarz,” seemingly an indication that these are reproductions from the Wiener Library in London. OCLC lists 2 other digital/microfilm holdings as well (at LBI & USHMM); an examination of the USHMM online catalog suggests they have a few original issues, though it is unclear which ones; this issue, Nr 11, is not listed.
addition,the Wiener Library’s online catalog (not listed in OCLC) shows that they do hold six later issues (Nrs. 18-[23], but not this issue), which they have also issued as microfilm.

Very Good Condition. Rare and Very Important. (PBERL-1-13).