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[A RARE BOUND COLLECTION OF POLISH CHILDREN’S PERIODICALS (1935–1936) “PŁOMYK” AND “PŁOMYCZEK”] Płomyk: Tygodnik ilustrowany dla dzieci i młodzieży [i.e. Flame: Illustrated Weekly for Children and Youth]

Item #2758

Warsaw: Nowoczesnej Spolji Wydawniczej, S. A., 1917-1991. 23,9x17 cm. #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16-17 of 1935; #18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30/31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 of 1936. 39 issues. An almost complete set for the 1935/1936 academic year, lacking only one issue. In contemporary binding, with all original wrappers preserved. Very good. Occasional light soiling. Previous owner’s ink stamp “Kajstrukow” on the first page of issue #1 of 1935 and the last page of issue #40 of 1936. Previous owner’s pen/pencil inscriptions on the front and rear free endpapers, the first page of issue #1 of 1935 and the last page of issue #40 of 1936.

Płomyczek: Tygodnik dla mlodszych dzieci [i.e. The Little Flame: A Weekly for Young Children]. Warsaw: Nowoczesnej Spolji Wydawniczej, S. A., 1917-2013. 23,9x17 cm. #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16-17 of 1935; #18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30/31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 of 1936. Overall 40 issues of 40 for the academic year of 1935/1936. In contemporary binding, with all original wrappers preserved. Very good. One page from issue #16-17 detached with tears (illustrations affected), first page of the first issue slightly loose, occasional soiling. Previous owner’s ink stamp “Kajstrukow” on the first page of issue #1 of 1935. Previous owner’s pen inscriptions on the front and rear free endpapers.
An extremely rare, near-complete 1935/1936 academic year run of the premier Polish children’s magazines Płomyk and its former supplement Płomyczek, published in Warsaw from 1917 to 1991 and 1917 to 2013, respectively. The set lacks only the infamous Issue No. 25 of Płomyk. It was confiscated by Polish authorities due to its controversial praise of the Soviet Union, making it virtually impossible to find in contemporary bound sets.

For nearly a century, Płomyk and Płomyczek served as pillars of Polish children’s literature and national school system. Both magazines were officially founded in Warsaw in 1917 by the writer Rozalia Brzezińska (1859-1923) as illustrated weeklies: Płomyk for older children and teenagers, and Płomyczek as a supplement for younger readers. The magazines were distributed directly to schools and combined science and nature topics with folklore, poetry, fiction, and vibrant illustrations. As classroom tools, these publications followed the academic cycle rather than the calendar year. The school year was split into two volumes: Volume I covering the autumn/winter semester from September to January, and Volume II covering the spring semester through June. Over the decades, the publications changed both format and circulation several times while publishing works by prominent Polish writers such as Stefania Baczyńska, Janina Broniewska, Maria Chełmońska, Józef Czechowicz, Czesław Janczarski, Janina Kamińska, and Hanna Ożogowska. The magazines featured colorful front wrapper design and illustrations (including photographs) by famous Polish artists Edmund Bartłomiejczyk, Stanisław Bobiński, Bohdan Bocianowski, Zofia Fijałkowska, and Konstanty Maria Sopoćko. Throughout their long history, the magazines were issued by several major institutions, including the Polish Elementary School Teachers’ Association, the Polish Teachers’ Union, and the state publishing house Nasza Księgarnia. At different times, their editorial direction was shaped by figures such as Zofia Rogulska, Helena Radwanowa, Stanisław Machowski, and Mieczysław Kotarbiński. After surviving the disruptions of the Second World War and continuing throughout the socialist period, both magazines faced severe financial difficulties following Poland’s transition to a market economy after 1989. Płomyk ceased publication in 1991, while Płomyczek survived for more than two additional decades before finally closing in 2013.
Our bound set for the 1935/1936 academic year comprises 39 [out of 40] issues of Płomyk and all 40 issues of Płomyczek, spanning from September 2, 1935, to June 15, 1936. The set of Płomyk lacks its controversial Issue No. 25 of 1936. Despite the magazine’s generally anti-Soviet stance, this specific issue contained content idealizing the USSR, which triggered a sharp backlash from the Ilustrowany Kurier Codzienny. In a swift reaction, Polish authorities ordered the confiscation of all unsold copies. The incident ignited a wave of criticism against the Polish Teachers’ Union (ZNP) and led to the appointment of a government receiver, eventually culminating in a massive nationwide teachers’ strike in 1937.
During 1935-1936, Płomyk remained under the editorial leadership of Polish painter Mieczysław Kotarbiński (1890-1943) and Stanisław Machowski, while Płomyczek was edited by the Polish novelist Wanda Wasilewska (1905-1964) and avant-garde poet Józef Czechowicz (1903-1939; died during the bombing of Lublin by the German air force). Wasilewska later became one of the most influential Polish communist figures in the USSR, acting as a close associate of Joseph Stalin and playing a major role in the creation of the Polish Committee of National Liberation and the postwar Polish People’s Republic. The visual consistency of both magazines was overseen by Kazimierz Pieniążek (1897-1968), artistic director of the Publishing Department of the Polish Teachers’ Union.
The issues of Płomyk, intended for older children, include articles on the Polish scouting movement, the construction of new schools, the Polish-Soviet War, astronomy, paleontology, Polish mountaineering expeditions, the Chelyuskin catastrophe, and historical/ political figures such as Christopher Columbus, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Józef Piłsudski. Płomyczek, aimed at younger readers, primarily features short stories and poems, occasionally interwoven with patriotic and political themes, including texts devoted to Tadeusz Kościuszko.
Both magazines contain recurring sections such as readers’ letters, educational radio columns, riddles, and games. In issue no. 9 of Płomyczek (1935), the editors thank children from schools in Lida and Pinsk (today in Belarus), as well as Krzemieniec and Włodzimierz Wołyński (today in Ukraine), offering an interesting glimpse into the geography of interwar Poland. The set features works by both celebrated and lesser-known Polish children’s writers, including Wanda Wasilewska, Henryk Zasławski, Wanda Malicka, Antoni Madej, Wanda Grodzieńska, and Jerzy Ostrowski. Some contributors later became victims of the Second World War and Nazi occupation; Jerzy Ostrowski, for example, was arrested while attempting to flee occupied Poland and later died in the Gusen concentration camp in 1942.
The magazines stand out for their striking wrapper designs (featuring both dynamic photography and graphic illustration) and numerous color illustrations and photographs throughout. The front covers showcase works by the most celebrated figures of the Polish interwar avant-garde and traditional schools, including Wacław Borowski, Piotr Stachiewicz, Wojciech Kossak, Konstanty Maria Sopoćko, Stanisław Bobiński, and Zofia Stryjeńska. The magazines also feature the work of the noted artist Józef Klukowski. A significant figure in the Polish art world, Klukowski was a veteran of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising whose life was tragically cut short during a transport between the Sachsenhausen and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps in the final year of the war. Among the identified photographers is Jan Malarski, a renowned portraitist and theatrical photographer famous for his extensive documentation of early 20th-century stage actors and live performances.
Overall, an extremely rare set of the main Polish children’s magazines, concentrating the work of authors and artists many of whom later became victims of WWII.

Price: $950.00