The Beginning of Export Publishing Enterprises Ltd.

In an earlier post I talked about the end of Export in December 1950. Here is a brief introduction to the beginning of Export.

Three Toronto businessmen, Stanley Schrag, Frank Steele and Martin Kastner started Export in 1946. For a couple of months they tried to find a name that was acceptable to the Federal Department of Secretary of State. Names like Canada Periodicals Limited and Associated Magazine Publishers Limited were either already in use or close to names in use. Finally Export Publishing Enterprises Ltd. was accepted with November 20, 1946 as the date of incorporation.

The first books published by Export were two "Thrilling Novels" for the post war UK market. As far as I know these are the only books. Below is a bibliographic description of both books with the title page, collation, contents, binding and notes. Note the books are printed in 1946. Given that Export didn't know that its name was approved until November , 1946 this printing date is puzzling.

CIMARRON | BEND | By L. W. Emerson | Copyright, 1946 | A THRILLING NOVEL

Collation: pp. [1-4] 5-127 [128]; 175 x 120 mm.

Contents: p. [1] title; [2] A THRILLING NOVEL | Published by EXPORT PUBLISHING ENTERPRISES LIMITED | TORONTO, Canada | Exclusively for | T. A. & E. PEMBERTON LIMITED, | 11 BLOSSOM STREET, | Manchester, England. | All characters and situations in this book are fictional, | and any resemblance to actual persons or occurrences is a | coincidence. | PRINTED IN CANADA, 1946; [3] CIMARRON | BEND; [4] advertisement; 5-127 text; [128] advertisement.

Binding: Four stapled signatures of 16 leaves each. Inside covers have advertisements.

Note: First Published New York: The Macaulay Company, 1936.

I Found | Cleopatra  | By Thomas P. Kelley | Copyright by the author | A THRILLING NOVEL [Kelly on front cover and spine]

Collation: pp. [1-4] 5-126 [127] [128]; 175 x 117 mm.

Contents: p. [1] title; [2] A THRILLING NOVEL | Published by | EXPORT PUBLISHING ENTERPRISES LIMITED | TORONTO, Canada | Exclusively for | T. A. & E. PEMBERTON LIMITED, | 11 BLOSSOM STREET, | Manchester, England | All characters and situations in this book are fictional, | and any resemblance to actual persons or occurrences is a | coincidence. | PRINTED IN CANADA, 1946; [3] I Found | Cleopatra; [4] advertisement; 5-126 text; [127] advertisement; [128] blank.

Binding: Four stapled signatures of 16 leaves each. Inside covers have advertisements.

Note: Originally published in the American pulp Weird Tales as a four part serial from November 1938 to February 1939. It was reprinted as a three part serial in the Canadian pulp Uncanny Tales from July to September 1941. The Export edition is abridged.