Book of the Month December 2023

The Kindred of the Kibbo Kift

The Kibbo Kift are one of the most fascinating movements we have ever come across at Stone Club. Environmental activism, pacifism, practical skill development, spritual awareness, deep philosophical study ✔️ Great costumes, ✔️ Incredible artisitc, creative and collaborative output, ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ 

The Kibbo Kift story is not a simple one however, and not an easy one to digest either. There are many problems to overcome in loving what they did but what they set out to do and in part achieved was phenomenal and hugely inspiring to us. It ended very differently than it’s ideallistic beginnings however, or at least didn’t fulfil it’s initial potential. It wasn’t all bad though as they developed from Kibbo Kift to the Green Shirt Movement for Social Credit and in 1935 they took their final name, the Social Credit Party. There are many ideallistic ideas to be found here. The Green shirt look was strong too, just not for us. This book by Annebella pollen is stunning, it is beautifully produced with high quality reproductions of photographs, Kibbo Kift crafts and items, accompanied by Annebella’s deep knowledge across the chapters.

This book is such a  visual and cultural treat, a fascinating account of a movement and all of the hopes, dreams and challenges that kibbo Kift faced

Here is what publsher Donlon books have to say;

“The Kindred of the Kibbo Kift: Intellectual Barbarians is the first full-length work to explore the innovative cultural production of the English camping and hiking organization (1920-1932). Founded after the First World War as a reaction to militarism in scouting, Kibbo Kift developed into an all-ages organization for men and women. It attracted the support of a range of high-profile writers, artists, scientists and campaigners from DH Lawrence to HG Wells. Underpinned by a complex, distinctive philosophy, Kibbo Kift's practices were wide-ranging, extending across health and handicraft, pacifism and propaganda, myth and magic, education and economics. These ambitious ideas can be seen most clearly in the group's mystical and modernist art and design. The Kindred of the Kibbo Kift: Intellectual Barbarians features over 100 largely unseen examples of the group's accomplished creative output. These include decorated tents, campaign banners, illuminated manuscripts, protest graphics, carved totems and ceremonial attire alongside previously unpublished photographs by Angus McBean. The textual content, underpinned by extensive research in public and private archives, provides comprehensive analysis of the group's original style and occult beliefs. Visually arresting in its own right, The Kindred of the Kibbo Kift: Intellectual Barbarians showcases a fascinating but overlooked body of work that has continuing resonance for twenty-first century oppositional art and culture.”