Alcoholics Anonymous Rare 1943 Promo Pamphlet Alcoholic Foundation

Offered here is an exceptionally early Alcoholics Anonymous promotional pamphlet, published in 1943 by The Alcoholic Foundation, Inc., only four years after the publication of the First Edition Big Book.

At this point in A.A.’s history, the Fellowship was still small and expanding beyond its earliest groups. Publications such as this were important outreach tools, helping explain Alcoholics Anonymous to alcoholics, families, physicians, clergy, hospitals, and others who were beginning to encounter the young movement.

The opening pages state the purpose plainly: to show how alcoholics who had once been considered hopeless had recovered and to explain the developing A.A. approach. The pamphlet also identifies the Alcoholic Foundation as A.A.’s national service organization and directs readers to its Grand Central Annex address in New York. Contemporary examples are bibliographically recorded as a 28-page 1943 Alcoholic Foundation publication. 

Important Early A.A. Content

This pamphlet contains a remarkable collection of early Alcoholics Anonymous material, including:

• “Am I an Alcoholic?”
• “The Doctor’s Nightmare”
• “The European Drinker”
• “Women Suffer Too”
• “Bill’s Story”
• “Medicine, Religion and Alcoholics Anonymous”
• The Twelve Steps
• “Our Friends Say”
• A book review of Alcoholics Anonymous by Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick

The inclusion of “Women Suffer Too” is particularly interesting. The story was written by Marty Mann, one of the most important women in early A.A. history, and eventually appeared in the Second Edition Big Book. A.A. still identifies it as the story of one of its earliest female members. 

The Fosdick material is also an important connection to A.A.’s earliest outside supporters. Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick was among the prominent religious figures who publicly recognized the potential of Alcoholics Anonymous during its formative years. 

Hub of the Plains Group Provenance

This particular copy carries a purple ownership stamp on the front wrapper from:

Alcoholics Anonymous
Hub of the Plains Group
1309 Ave. M
Lubbock, Texas

That stamp gives this copy an additional layer of historical interest. A.A.’s own archival publication documents the early history and significant growth of Alcoholics Anonymous in Lubbock and West Texas beginning in the 1940s. 

Rather than being simply an unused piece of literature, this copy appears to have actually circulated within an A.A. group, providing a tangible connection to the early spread of the Fellowship.

Publication Details

Title: A.A.
Publisher: The Alcoholic Foundation, Inc.
Publication Year: 1943
Location: New York
Format: Stapled promotional pamphlet
Pagination: 28 pages plus final leaf
Front Cover Stamp: Hub of the Plains Group, Lubbock, Texas
Copyright: 1943 by The Alcoholic Foundation, Inc.

The pamphlet was produced during the First Edition Big Book era, when the Alcoholic Foundation and Works Publishing were still carrying much of the organizational and publishing work of the young Fellowship.

Condition

This example is in excellent condition for an original piece of 1943 A.A. literature.

The wrappers and interior pages show light, even age toning with only minimal general handling wear. The original staples remain intact in the fold and show light oxidation, with no significant resulting staining to the pages.

There is handwritten notation at the upper portion of the front cover as shown in the photographs, along with the original Hub of the Plains Group stamp. No other notable writing, markings, or tears were observed.

Please review all photographs carefully for the most complete understanding of condition.

An increasingly difficult early piece of Alcoholics Anonymous literature, published while A.A. was still in its formative First Edition era. With its substantial collection of early program writings, Big Book material, medical and religious commentary, Marty Mann’s “Women Suffer Too,” and documented Lubbock A.A. group provenance, this is a particularly compelling artifact from the early expansion of Alcoholics Anonymous.