Wednesday 31 July 2013

Evangeline and Evelyn

It's a helluva story. So thought Henry Longfellow whose 1847 poem Evangeline, a Tale of Acadie was a best seller. Ninety-six years later Canadian novelist Evelyn Eaton published her The Sea is So Wide. Both use the 1755 expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia as a background to lost love.

An early (circa 1851) English edition of Evangeline joins a Harlequin edition of The Sea is So Wide published 101 years later. Surprisingly both remain in print.




Harlequin 170 - May 1952

Harlequin 170 back

Monday 29 July 2013

The First White Circle Reprints Part III

In the first of this series of posts I listed the first ten White Circle reprints from 1943 published by Toronto's Wm Collins Sons & Canada Co. Here is one of the two that had a total of four printings.

White Circle L - 1942 

White Circle 106 - 1943

White Circle 106 - 1944

White Circle 106 - 1945

Sunday 28 July 2013

The First White Circle Reprints Part II

In the last post I listed the first 10 reprints from Wm Collins & Sons Co Canada Ltd in their White Circle paperback series. The last one in the group is below along with the first 1942 printing.

White Circle A2 - 1942

White Circle 110 - 1943

White Circle 110 - 1945

Monday 15 July 2013

The First White Circle Reprints Part I

After publishing its first 50 White Circle paperbacks in 1942 with classic text only British covers, Wm Collins & Sons Co. Canada decided, in order to compete with the American books coming into Canada, that the covers needed to be more distinctive. Joining new releases were 10 reprints in spring 1943 of 1942 books. Here is the list with the 1942 printing's number. The first four books were not reprinted again.

101
The Stoat
D
102
Death Leaves No Card
K
103
U-Boat in the Hebrides
B1
104
The Bell of Death
E
105
Mr. Mortimer Gets the Jitters
P
106
Wanted for Murder
L
107
Death Before Honour
C
108
Doorway to Danger
R
109
Spades at Midnight
I
110
Belt of Suspicion
A2

White Circle 101 - 1943

White Circle 102 - 1943

White Circle 103 - 1943

White Circle 104 - 1943

Monday 1 July 2013

146 and Counting

The British North American Act, enacted March 29, 1867 by the British Parliament, provided for Confederation of the three British North American colonies, Canada (Upper and Lower), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Now much amended as the Constitution Act, 1867, it was proclaimed into law on July 1, 1867 and Canada was born. The first official birthday celebration was in 1868, July 1 being named Dominion Day in 1879 and Canada Day in 1982.

Here are some early efforts by Harlequin Books in Lower Canada. 

Patricia et le noveau medecin was Pat Witney, R.N. (Harlequin 347). Le destin d'une infirmiere was published as Harlequin 580 Nurse Nolan, originally Dear Tiberius (Mills & Boon) and Une infirmiere au Tyrol was Harlequin 556, Staff Nurse in the Tyrol.

Harlequin 347f - 1960

Harlequin 347f back

Harlequin 602f - 1961

Harlequin 602f back

Harlequin 604f - 1961

Harlequin 604f back