Collins White Circle Title Pages

Cover free post today. We'll be looking at the title pages used by Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd. in their White Circle imprint. There were three primary styles of title pages used over the 10 year life of the imprint. A reminder that numbers 73, 100, 119-199, 209, 212, 430, 543 were not used and number 527 was used twice.

The first title page design had five variants. The first three had the British head office 48 Pall Mall London address and three different decorative features borrowed from the British White Circles. They were used on 122 books (first 50 books plus 51-98, 101-110, 112-117, 200-207 and 211) from 1942 to 1944.

The final two variants used the address for the Canadian company - 70 Bond Street in Toronto. The first on 12 books (99, 111, 118, 214-222) and the second on four books (208, 210, 213, and 223). Book 223 had a slight difference with “By” instead of “by”. These books are late 1944/early 1945.

 

The second type was used on 67 books (224-256, 259-291) from early 1945 through 1946. Eight books (280, 282, 283, 285, 288-291) have “by” between the title and author and three books (283, 288, and 290) do no have italicized author names.

The third and final type came in three variants and was used 1947 through 1952. The first had no street address (16 books: 257, 292-302, 304-307). The second the 70 Bond Street address (62 books: 303, 308-365, 367-369) and the third with the final address, 53 Avenue Road (176 books: 366, 370-545).