Albert Meltzer
Albert Meltzer (born
January 7,
1920 - died
May 7,
1996) was an
anarchist activist and
writer.
Meltzer was born in
London, and attracted to
anarchism at the age of fifteen as a direct result of taking
boxing lessons. The
Labour MP for
Edmonton,
Edith Summerskill was virulently anti-boxing and his school governors considered it "common". At his first anarchist meeting in
1935, he contradicted
Emma Goldman's comments on boxing. As the
Spanish Revolution turned into the
Spanish Civil War Meltzer became active organising solidarity appeals. He involved himself with smuggling arms from
Hamburg to the
CNT in
Spain and acted as a contact for the Spanish anarchist intelligence services in Britain. At this time he had a part as an extra in
Leslie Howard's
film Pimpernel Smith, as Howard wanted more authentic
actors playing the anarchists.
Meltzer worked as a second-hand bookseller before becoming a
copytaker in
Fleet Street. He was also employed for a number of years at the
Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Meltzer was a co-founder of the anarchist newspaper
Black Flag and was a prolific writer on anarchist topics. Amongst his books were
Anarchism, Arguments For and Against (originally published by
Cienfuegos Press) [
1],
The Floodgates of Anarchy (co-written with
Stuart Christie) and his
autobiography,
I Couldn't Paint Golden Angels, published by
AK Press [
2] shortly before his death.
Meltzer also was involved in the founding of the
Anarchist Black Cross and
Kate Sharpley Library.
*
Anarchist Archives entry on Meltzer*
An obituary for Meltzer*
Tribute to Albert Meltzer
