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Society for Creative Anachronism, Published 1982-1983. Wraps, 28; 61; 121; 62 pp.; 21 cm; four issues, each side-stapled; Nos. 1, 3 and 4 first printings; No. 2 "Third reprint, with revisions, February 1987" (Raymond's Quiet Press); black-and-white illustrations, patterns and diagrams throughout.
In Very Good condition. Illustrated paper covers (tan, yellow, gray and salmon respectively) with light bumping to edges and corners; issue numbers written in ink at top corner of Nos. 1, 3 and 4; small circular sticker residue and a faint spot on front cover of No. 2. Rear covers of Nos. 1, 3 and 4 carry the original SCA mailing labels addressed to John Griffin Trimble, each with residue from the sticker that sealed the fore-edge for mailing. Staples tight. Otherwise unmarked. The first four numbers of the Society for Creative Anachronism's monograph series; Nos. 1, 3 and 4 with the original subscription mailing labels addressed to John Griffin Trimble (1936-2024), John ap Griffin in the Society, described by the SCA as one of its founding members and the first person to register arms with its College of Arms. The Society grew out of a backyard tournament in Berkeley in May 1966 and became a nonprofit educational body with a quarterly magazine, Tournaments Illuminated, and kingdom newsletters. The Compleat Anachronist, begun in July 1982 as a bimonthly pamphlet series, was its first venue for single-subject research: each number treats one topic in depth for members making their own clothing, gear and games. No. 1 covers the history of spectacles and gives construction plans for period frames in metal and wood. Nos. 2 and 3 reprint the practical armoring articles from The Hammer, journal of the Middle Kingdom Armourers' Guild: helm patterns, mail, arm harness, gauntlets, plate and rowelled spurs, with full-page patterns. No. 4 gives rules for medieval chess variants, alquerque and tafl, pachisi, goose, dice games, tarot, piquet and trappola. Early numbers were reprinted through the 1980s; these are first printings as mailed to subscribers.