National Library buys first Broons annual after 10-year hunt

The National Library of Scotland has bought a copy of the first ever Broons annual for its collection after a decade-long search.

The 1939 edition was snapped up for an undisclosed fee after it appeared on a booksellers' website a few months ago.

The bi-annual publication by DC Thomson went on to become a festive favourite alongside the Oor Wullie books.

Sport, leisure and newspapers curator Ian Scott arranged the purchase for the national collections.

• Comic book artist appears in The Broons

He said: "The Broons annuals are some of the most important publications in 20th century Scotland.

"They have had enduring appeal since their inception in 1939, which makes them a publishing phenomenon.

"These iconic characters, aside from subtle changes to their clothing and technology use, still haven't changed much in the 80-plus years they've been landing in Scottish households at Christmastime."

Mr Scott added the "multi-generational appeal" of the annual was "a major achievement for any publication".

He said: "In these modern times where societies and cultures are so fragmented, publications that gently chip away at generational conflict and other societal constructs such as class can bring a level of comfort to readers aged 8 to 80."

The Broons first appeared in 1936 in the fun section of the Sunday Post newspaper.

The Broons visit the Frank Quitely exhibition and meet the artist in 2017

The family and Oor Wullie - which also first appeared in 1936 - were created by the same two men, R D Law and W D Watkins.

But the books and comics were not initially collected by libraries as they were distributed via newsagents rather than bookshops and deemed to be ephemeral.

Since the 1940 edition - which was published in 1939 - The Broons annual has appeared every two years, alternating with the Oor Wullie annual.

There was a small gap in 1944 and 1946 due to paper shortages, during which time DC Thomson released Broons jigsaws.

And the exception was the 80th anniversary of the first book, when the Dundee-based publisher released The Broons and Oor Wullie annuals in the same year.

The first Broons annual - which is the only known copy in a public collection in Scotland - will be displayed in the Treasures of the National Library of Scotland exhibition in 2024 at George IV Bridge, Edinburgh.