The following pages are from the National Iranian Oil Company's newsletter — Mash'al-e-Abadan, “Torch of Abadan” — published from October 1965 to January 1966. They were bound and given to me by my mother, the late Shirin Bakhtiar, who was the newsletter's reporter/editor.
Her reign did not last very long, though. As you will see, some of the content and design is not what you would expect to see in an official company newsletter in a little town at the tip of the Persian Gulf in the mid-60s. It was too artistic (and weird) for an audience largely made up of engineers.
It was years after starting iranian.com that I found out about these newsletters and the extent of my mother's involvement — or adventures — in journalism. Even so, the similarities between Mash'al-e-Abadan and iranian.com are obvious, to me at least. They are an odd mix of hard and soft content.
I understand why my mother was asked to stop working on the newsletter. She was having way too much fun with it. She specifically mentioned that she was scolded for publishing — on the front cover — a photograph of smiling fireworkers casually hanging around their fire truck. It promotes chaos and lack of discipline, she was told, basically.
Oh how wonderful it is to publish whatever your heart desires…
From the very beginning until her death last November, my mother was my biggest moral and financial supporter. Reproducing her Mash'al-e-Abadan is my little gift to her on this Mother's Day. [See her at work in the General Office in the late 60s here]
Mash'al-e-Abadan
* 13 January, 1966
* 6 January, 1966
* 30 December, 1965
* 23 December, 1965
* 16 December, 1965
* 9 December, 1965
* 2 December, 1965
* 25 November, 1965
* 18 November, 1965
* 11 November, 1965
* 4 November, 1965
* October 29, 1965
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 13 January, 1965
— COVER: Technicians school (recommended)
— PAGE 2: Staff on overseas assignment
— PAGE 3: Boat and karting races (recommended)
— PAGE 4: Technicians school staff (recommended)
— (recommended)
— PAGE 6 Archaeoloy: Abadan Museum (recommended)
— PAGE 7: Roundabout town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies of the week
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 6 January, 1965
— COVER: Refinery telephone exchange (recommended)
— PAGE 2: AIT Engineering Lab completion
— PAGE 3: On overseas assignment (recommended)
— PAGE 4: Refinery telephone exchange (recommended)
— (recommended)
— PAGE 6 About Mozart (recommended)
— PAGE 7: Roundabout town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies of the week
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 30 December, 1965
— COVER: Abadan fire fighters (recommended)
— PAGE 2: Princess Fatimeh tours Abadan (recommended)
— PAGE 3: Editor of Tehran Journal (recommended)
— PAGE 4: The fire station staff (recommended)
— (recommended)
— PAGE 6 Abadan Kart Club (recommended)
— PAGE 7: Roundabout town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies of the week
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 23 December, 1965
— COVER: Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Tree” (recommended)
— PAGE 2: Christmas greetings from senior staff (recommended)
— PAGE 3: Tube bundle farm &…
— PAGE 4: Oil company catering (recommended)
— PAGE 5: The life of Charles Dickens
— PAGE 6 Children's International Variety Show (recommended)
— PAGE 7: Staff foreign wives on Christmas in their country
— PAGE 8: Wives on Christmas continued
— PAGE 9: The life of Charles Dickens
— PAGE 10: Keeping Abadan safe on Christmas (recommended)
— PAGE 11 Christmas activities in Abadan (recommended)
— PAGE 12: Movies of the week
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 16 December, 1965
— COVER: Acconts clear the way for business…
— PAGE 2: Army Day photo & House to widow of worker
— PAGE 3: More reliable electricity, winner of Hedayat Cup &…
— (recommended)
— (recommended)
— PAGE 6: A professor and other visitors to Abadan (recommended)
— PAGE 7: Roundabout town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies of the week & …
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 9 December, 1965
— COVER: Top visitors, 5th school, Salzburg Duet…
— PAGE 2: Literacy corps leaders; appointments…
— PAGE 3: New school in Bahmanshir; farewell to Britton
— PAGE 4: Oil company laundry depot (recommended)
— (recommended)
— PAGE 6: American illustrator Bill Berry in Abadan (recommended)
— PAGE 7: Roundabout town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies of the week & …
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 2 December, 1965
— COVER: Khuzestan government heads; printing
— PAGE 2: Government heads see oil industry
— PAGE 3: Men and machines of NIOC printing (recommended)
— PAGE 4: The grand opera houses of the world
—
— PAGE 6: Radio programmer Hassan Shahbaz (recommended)
— PAGE 7: Round about town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies of the week & …
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 25 November, 1965
— COVER: B. E. & S., Nurses, Off to Golf and Tehran Visit
— PAGE 2: Medical students in U.S., Karaj agri students &…
—
— PAGE 4: Abadan Nurses Training School (recommended)
— PAGE 5: (recommended)
— PAGE 6: Introducung New York Times reporter Thomas F. Brady (recommended)
— PAGE 7: Round about town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies, bridge games & …
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 18 November, 1965
— COVER: NIOC Chariman Manoochehr Eghbal at refinery
— PAGE 2: Afghan Crown Prince with wife welcomed in Abadan
— PAGE 3: Engineers honor new General Refinery Manager
— (recommended)
— PAGE 5: (recommended)
— PAGE 6: Introducung author Leonard Fanning & ….
— PAGE 7: Round about town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies, bridge games & … (recommended)
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 11 November, 1965
— COVER: 20 government heads from Abadan & Khorramshahr
— PAGE 2: Oil production & exploration stats, royal telegram
— PAGE 3: H.H. Coppers, outgoing refinery manager
— PAGE 4: Chess, a nice and abstruse game
—
— PAGE 6: Party for new general manager (recommended)
— PAGE 7: Round about town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies, bridge games & … (recommended)
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, 4 November, 1965
— COVER: Happy Birthday Crown Prince Reza
— PAGE 2: First Iranian General Refinery Manager (recommended)
— PAGE 3: Company news
— PAGE 4: Turkish, English and Japanese gardens
— PAGE 5: Persian and American gardens
— PAGE 6: Abol Ghassem Taheri: Inja Landan Ast (recommended)
— PAGE 7: Round about town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies, bridge games & … (recommended)
Mash'al-e-Abadan, Thursday, October 29, 1965
— Cover: Mohammad Reza Shah's birthday
— PAGE 2: Tehran refinery, Royal telegram…
— PAGE 3: Who's who in engineering and construction
— PAGE 4: The astronomer's drinking song
— PAGE 5: Excerpts from Rene Descartes
— PAGE 6: Appointments, Inoculations…
— PAGE 7: Round about town (recommended)
— PAGE 8: Movies, bridge games & … (recommended)
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