Weldun Publications Part I

Weldun Publications was another small Canadian paperback publisher headquartered in Toronto. Weldun published six undated books numbered 122 - 127. There are two addresses for the publisher: 334 Kingswood Road in Toronto and 2061 Broadway in New York. The imprint is "Pony Book".

Here are the first two books, each 192 pages with art copied from other editions as seen below. These first two books have covers made of heavy card stock.

Book 122 is The Corpse is Indignant by Douglas Stapleton and Helen A. Carey. It was originally published by New York's Five Start Mysteries, Inc. in 1946 as Five Star Mystery 44, a paperback digest. I can find no information about the authors.

Book 123 is The Waltz of Death by P. B. Maxon [? - ?]. The story started life in the pulp Wonder Stories (May - July 1935) and book form in 1941, published by Mystery House, an imprint of Arcadia House, Inc. of New York. Then Bartholomew House printed the first paperback edition in 1944. A note in the Weldun edition says that Maxon was killed while mountain climbing in Switzerland before the book was published. Confusingly it says the story was originally published in 1946 which is the copyright date on the book. Suggests that the Weldun books were published in 1946.

Weldun 122

Weldun 122 back

Weldun 123

Weldun 123 back

Five Star Mystery 44

Bartholomew House 9



Hard Case Crime Part III

Another salute to the recently departed Hard Case Crime series with two more originals. Unlike the first four books in this series of posts neither the author name nor title has been changed for these HCC reprints. The Spiderweb reprint is a nice touch, mirroring the original Ace double. Shooting Star is one side of another Ace double. Robert McGinnis, one of my favourites, is the artist on The Girl with the Long Green Heart.

HCC-14  November 2005

HCC 14 back

Fawcett Gold Medal k1555 - 1965

Fawcett Gold Medal k1555 back

HCC-42  April 2008

HCC-42

Ace D-59  1954

Ace D-59

Collins White Circle Authors Part XI

Taking into account pseudonyms there were 142 authors of the 429 titles published by Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd in their White Circle imprint from 1942 to 1952. Twenty-eight had two books each published. Here are two of them.

The first is Dorothy Phoebe Ansle (1890 - 1983) who, according to one site, published 97 romance novels from the 1920s to the 1970s. In addition to the pseudonyms below she used Laura Conway. Ansle is one of those authors who published an amazing number of books which had to have sold well but who is forgotten today.

Val Gielgud (1900 - 1981), the brother of John Gielgud, had two books published as White Circles. Note the back of Special Delivery.

White Circle C.D. 437 - 1950 (first published London: Wm. Collins, 1949)

White Circle C.D. 437 back

White Circle C.D. 520 - 1951 (London: Wm. Collins, 1950)

White Circle C.D. 520 back

White Circle CD 460 - 1950 (London: Wm. Collins, 1950)

White Circle CD 460 back

White Circle C.D. 501 - 1950 (London: Wm. Collins, 1950)

White Circle C.D. 501 back



Collins White Circle Authors - Part X - Leacock (1)

One hundred years ago this fall Stephen Leacock's first collection of humorous stories, Literary Lapses, was published. The book was published at Leacock's expense by the Gazette Printing Company, Limited of Montreal.

In 1945 Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd published the first Canadian paperback edition as number 213 in their White Circle imprint. Collins also published Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town in 1942 as White Circle 39 and again in 1945 as 223.

Literary Lapses wasn't Leacock's first book. In his capacity as an academic three non-fiction books had already been published. Throughout his career Leacock continued to publish these sorts of books, all of which are forgotten today, as well as collections of humorous stories. Here are two of these post-Sunshine books.

White Circle 213

White Circle 39

White Circle 223

New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1928

Short Circuits back

Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1945

While There Is Time back

Collins White Circle Photo Covers - Part II

In the first part of this blog I described how Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd produced 32 photo covers for their White Circle imprint. The first five are seen in that post. Here are the next five, all from 1947. The models are known for two of the books thanks to the Quill & Quire article referred to in the first post. Here is a link to one of them.

White Circle 312

White Circle 313 - Rose Burkett (Miss Toronto 1941)

White Circle 316 - Dorothy Henderson

White Circle 322

White Circle 328

Derby Publishing Part IV

Last of the posts for Derby Publishing Company - books 10 to 12. All are dated 1950 with 160 pages. Only the artist on number 10 can be identified, D. Rickard. Number 11 has the best cover of the short 12 book run.

An undistinguished collection. No originals, no Canadian authors and 10 books from the queen of soft core mid-century romance - Phoenix Press of New York. I don't know anything about the owners or employees of Derby.

Lush Lady by Gail Jordan (pseudonym for Peggy Gaddis [1895 - 1966]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1949. Gaddis has too many other pseudonyms to list.

Highway Jane by Gordon Semple (pseudonym for William Arthur Neubauer [1916 - 1982]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1949 as Passion's Highway. The author also wrote as William Arthur, Ralph Carter and Norman Bligh.

Borrowed Husband by Florenz Branch (pseudonym for Florence Stonebraker [1896 - 1977]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1949 as Borrowed Love. The author also wrote as Thomas Stone.

Derby 10

Derby 10 back

Derby 11

Derby 11 back

Derby 12

Derby 12 back

Derby Publishing Part III

Part III of this blog will highlight books seven through nine published by Derby Publishing Company of Toronto. All three are dated 1950 and have 160 pages. Cover art by D. Rickard for book nine. The cover artists for books seven and eight are unknown.

Men To Burn by William Arthur (pseudonym for William Arthur Neubauer [1916 - 1982]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1949. The author also wrote as Gordon Semple, Ralph Carter and Norman Bligh. 

Bedroom For Three by Charles Thornton (pseudonym for Albert Quandt [? - ?]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1949. The author also wrote as Robert Norcross.

The Body Betrays by Wayne Way (pseudonym for Adelaide M. Rowe [1898 - 1979]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1949. The author earlier wrote under Adelaide Humphries.

Derby 7

Derby 7 back

Derby 8

Derby 8 back

Derby 9

Derby 9 back

Derby Publishing Part II

Continuing our look at Derby Publishing Company, here are books 4 through 6 of 12 published. All three are dated 1949, have 160 pages and cover art by D. Rickard.

Derby's address at 347A Yonge Street in Toronto was for many years the famous Sam the Record Man store which closed in 2007. The site is being developed by Ryerson University. Here is a fascinating now and then comparison of the buildings. The then picture is apparently from the early 1950s - Derby could still be there.

Burning Desire by Perry Lindsay (pseudonym for Peggy Gaddis [1895 - 1966]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1947 as The Burning Desire.

The French Wench by Robert Norcross (pseudonym for Albert Quandt [? - ?]) was first published by Phoenix Press in 1949. The author also wrote as Charles Thornton.

The Long Night by Joe Lederer [1904 - 1987] was first published by Farrar & Rinehart in 1931 as Overnight - translated by Guy Endore from Musik der Nacht published in Germany in 1930. Joe is short for Josefine. 

Derby 4

Derby 4 back

Derby 5

Derby 5 back

Derby 6

Derby 6 back