Saturday 21 July 2018

Wm. Collins's Indian Editions Part III

It's been a while since Part II of this blog's Wm. Collins's Indian White Circles.

The reason isn't laziness but lack of material. But I now have a new Indian White Circle. This is an uncommon non-fiction White Circle that had been successfully published in the US (1941), UK (1942), and Canada (1946). The Indian edition is, to my knowledge, the only early paperback version. It was published in 1946 in Bombay by W.A.R. Collins.

I wonder what an Indian audience in 1946 thought of salmon fishing in Canada.



Tuesday 17 July 2018

Two Solitudes Part II

In Part I I discussed the new edition of Canadian author Hugh MacLennan's Two Solitudes from McGill-Queen's University Press. One of the editions discussed in the introduction is a 1951 abridgement done for the high school market. Not discussed is another abridgement from 1945. Omnibook Magazine was an American digest in which four current books were abridged. Interestingly they were authorized and in the "Author's Own Words." I estimate 75% to 80% has been cut.



Omnibook Magazine Vol 7 #4, March 1945


Sunday 1 July 2018

Canadian Paperback Guides

Long time readers of the blog may recall my White Circle Paperback Guide which was available to anyone who asked. It provides partial bibliographic information for Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada's 1940s and early '50s paperback imprints. 

I have recently updated and it is now on online at BookScans. Joining it is a recently completed Harlequin Guide which covers the first 500 Harlequins. A new version of the White Circle Guide with much better images will soon be available. Coming in the fall will be a full bibliography of Export Publishing Enterprises.

Below are some of the books seen in the guides.

Harlequin 37 - March 1950

Harlequin 52 - June 1950

Harlequin 80 - September 1950

Harlequin 93 - January 1951

White Circle 208 - 1944

Whit Circle 222 - 1945

White Circle 270 - 1946

White Circle 287 - 1946

151 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.

It's clearly Alces alces on the young lady's sweater. But is it a moose or an European elk? Since this is a Wm. Collins & Sons Co. Canada paperback from 1948 my guess is moose. Moose in the Italian alps? Why not?

White Circle 358 - 1948

White Circle 358 detail

White Circle 358 back