Export Publishing US Series Dust Jackets

In my last post I discussed the new edition of Sugar-Puss on Dorchester Street which has a new cover showcasing the original art from the 1950 dust jacket. See here for more on this and other editions.

Over the years I've done posts on the 20 dustjackets Export Publishing used on their US books. Here I'll show all of them. They are an impressive group. None are signed.

News Stand Library 4A - June 1949

News Stand Library 5A - June 1949

News Stand Library 6A - June 1949

News Stand Library 7A - August 1949

News Stand Library 8A - August 1949

News Stand Library 9A - November 1949

News Stand Library 10A - November 1949

News Stand Library 12A -November 1949

News Stand Library - November 1949

News Stand Library 14A - November 1949

News Stand Library 20A - February 1950

News Stand Library 19A - February 1950

News Stand Library 18A - January 1950

News Stand Library 17A - January 1950

News Stand Library 16A - January 1950

News Stand Library 15A - January 1950

News Stand Library 21A - February 1950

News Stand Library 22A - February 1950

News Stand Library 23A - April 1950

News Stand Library 24A - April 1950

A Rare Publishing Event

This month, thanks to Montreal publisher Vehicule Press, Canadians will see in bookstores, for the first time in nearly 75 years, a paperback cover with a very unusual history.

Toronto paperback publisher Export Publishing Enterprises was in business from mid 1948 to early 1951. In addition to books sold in Canada, Export published 28 titles for the US market. Here is my first post on these books. Twenty of the books were published with a dust jacket, including Sugar-Puss on Dorchester Street by Al Palmer. Vehicule has just published its second edition of the title reproducing the US dust jacket cover. The first edition has the original cover seen in Canada.

None of the other nineteen covers have been seen since their original publication. And likely never will. Sadly the dust jacket artists are unknown.

Vehicule Press - November 2024

Vehicule Press - back

News Stand Library 20A - February 1950

News Stand Library 20A  - cover under dust jacket

Jesse James in Canada

Jesse James (1847-1882) came to Canada thanks to the self-styled "king of the Canadian pulp writers", Thomas P. Kelley. 

Kelley wrote a biography of James that was published by Toronto's Export Publishing Enterprises in their News Stand Library imprint. Export put out two editions with different numbers, one for each of the Canadian and US markets. The US version came in two variants, one with and one without a dust jacket.

Less well known is a shorter version published in Outlaws Ride the Range, a collection from Toronto's Pastime Publications described as an "Action Novel". Published circa 1946/47 for the post war UK market, it is a rare book, and Kelley is using one of his many pseudonyms, T. P. Monahon. The book has 15 chapters, the first five about various "outlaws", the last ten on James. Here is a detailed look at the book but I'll focus on chapters six through 15.

Chapter six is titled "Bad Bill" and describes the life of Bill Bailey who is killed by James. The first chapter in Export's book is titled "What Happened at the 'Bucket of Blood'". The first few paragraphs are different then the versions are nearly identical. The Export book has a further 16 chapters vs nine in the Pastime version. Here is how they line up, Export first then Pastime.

Chapter 3 ---> Chapter 7

Chapter 4 ---> Chapter 8

Chapter 5 ---> Chapter 9

Chapter 6 ---> Chapter 10

Chapters 7 and 8 ---> Chapters 11, 12 and 13

Chapter 9 ---> Chapter 14

Chapter 13 ---> Chapter 15

Export chapters 2, 10-12, 14-17 are not in the Pastime version. I haven't done a detailed comparison of the chapters but I would guess over 95% of the texts are identical.

News Stand Library 92 and 15A - January 1950

News Stand Library 92 and 15A back

News Stand Library 15A with Dust Jacket - January 1950

Pastime Publications [nn]

Export Publishing Bibliography Part VIII

Here is the third and final title from Toronto's Export Publishing that has recently been published by Montreal's Vehicule Press. There is a Canadian Export edition (84) and an US edition (20A).

84 Sugar Puss on Dorchester Street

A1.a.

SUGAR PUSS | ON | DORCHESTER STREET | [ornament: company logo] | By | AL PALMER

Collation: pp. [1-4] 5-7 [8] 9-15 [16] 17-21 [22] 23-39 [40] 41-45 [46] 47-67 [68] 69-73 [74] 75-79 [80] 81-93 [94] 95-122 [123] [124] 125-141 [142] 143-149 [150] 151-159 [160]; 177 x 107 mm.

Contents: p. [1] About this book…; [2] NEWS STAND LIBRARY POCKET EDITION | First Printing NOVEMBER, 1949 | Printed and Bound in Canada | Export Publishing Enterprises Limited | TORONTO LONDON NEW YORK; [3] title; [4] blank; 5-7 PREFACE; [8] blank; 9-10 THE CHARACTERS; 11-159 text; [160] blank.

Binding: Perfect. Inside covers pattern with logo – vivid red.

Note: Paperback original. Signed art by D. Rickard. 

A1.b.

Collation: [1-5¹⁶]; pp. [1-4] 5-6 [7] [8] 9 [10] 11-21 [22] 23-39 [40] 41-45 [46] 47-67 [68] 69-73 [74] 75-79 [80] 81-93 [94] 95-117 [118] 119-122 [123-124] 125-141 [142] 143-159 [160].

Binding: Stapled gatherings. Inside covers pattern with logo – moderate brown. “SUGAR PUSS” on back cover shifted 7 mm to left.

20A Sugar-Puss on Dorchester Street 

A1.a.

SUGAR-PUSS | On Dorchester Street | To Sean Edwin | who didn’t give a damn either! | by Al Palmer

Collation: pp. [1-7] 8 [9] 10 [11] 12-39 [40-42] 43-78 [79-81] 82-125 [126-129] 130-159 (but with an unnumbered first page for 21 of the 25 chapters) [160]; 176 x 106 mm.

Contents: p. [1] the book at a glance; [2] | NEWS STAND LIBRARY POCKET EDITION | First Printing February, 1950 | Printed and bound in Canada | [ornament: company logo] | Export Publishing Enterprises Limited | TORONTO LONDON NEW YORK;  [3] title; [4] ALL NAMES, CHARACTERS, | AND EVENTS IN THIS BOOK | ARE FICTIONAL, AND ANY |  RESEMBLANCE TO REAL | PERSONS WHICH MAY SEEM | TO EXIST IS PURELY CO- | INCIDENTAL.; [5]-159 text; [160] blank.

Binding: Perfect. Inside covers pattern with logo – moderate brown. “KN” on spine printed red, “20A” on spine black. Back cover copy: “Sugar Puss | ON DORCHESTER STREET” at top of blurb and “Sugar Puss” larger font size; “A NEWS STAND LIBRARY POCKET EDITION” at bottom of blurb.

Note: Paperback original. Signed art by Sid Dyke.

A1.b.

Binding: Inside covers pattern as A1.a.“KN” on spine printed black, “20A” as A1.a. Back cover blurb as A1.a.

A1.c.

Binding: Inside covers pattern with logo – vivid blue. “KN” and “20A” on spine as A1.a. Back cover blurb as A1.a.

A1.d.

Binding: Inside covers pattern with logo – vivid red. “KN” on spine as A1.a, “20A” printed red. Back cover copy is advertisement for In Passion’s Fiery Pit.

A1.e.

Binding: Inside covers pattern with logo – vivid red. “KN” and “20A” as A1.d. Back cover copy: “Sugar Puss | On Dorchester Street” at top of blurb, both same font size; “A NEWS STAND LIBRARY POCKET EDITION” missing. 

A1.e.DJ

Binding: Inside covers patter with logo – vivid red. Spine and back cover as A1.e. Dust jacket attached at spine – number C8.

Vehicule - 2013

Vehicule Back

Export Publishing Bibliography Part VII

Here is the second of Export's books that have been recently published by Vehicule Press of Montreal. This is an early book from Export which illustrates how messy the bibliographic data are for the early books. There are two Export editions - one sold in Canada (13S) and one sold in the US (2A). The Vehicule Press edition uses the US edition's cover from New American Library.

The Long November has confusing numbering. The November 1948 first printing is numbered “13 S”. There are two versions numbered “R15” which indicates a second printing, but the copyright page is unchanged from the first printing. A stated April 1949 second printing is numbered “3R15” which indicates a fourth printing. I have not seen a copy with “2R15”. There is no book numbered “15”.

  

13 S The Long November

A1.a.

The | LONG | NOVEMBER| By JAMES BENSON NABLO | [ornament: company logo] | A NEWS STAND LIBRARY POCKET EDITION

Collation: [1-4¹⁶ 5-6⁸]; p. [1-4] 5-160; 170 x 109 mm.

Contents: p. [1] The Story; [2] Copyright, 1946 | By James Benson Nablo | All rights reserved. | Printed in Canada. | First News Stand Library edition | November, 1948. | EXPORT PUBLISHING ENTERPRISES LIMITED | 3079 Dundas St. W. Toronto 9; [3] title; [4] For | BERTA KASLOW; 5-160 text.

Binding: Stapled signatures. Inside covers illustration – strong yellow green. Title on spine black. Border on back cover on three sides – top, right and bottom. The book description on the back cover differs from the description on page [1].

Note: First published New York: E. P. Dutton, 1946. Signed art by Sid Dyke. Text contains a number of errors including a stray line 11 on page 115 and line 25 repeating line 30 on page 117.

A1.b.

Binding: Stapled signatures. Inside covers illustration – as A1.a. Title and author missing from back cover.

A2. second printing - number R15

Collation: [1-5¹⁶]; pp. as A1.a.

Binding: Stapled signatures. Inside covers illustration – vivid red. Title on spine black and larger than A1.a. Back cover title green and larger than A1.a, author as A1.a. Border on back cover on two sides – top and bottom. Back cover blurb reset.

Note: Errors on pages 115 and 117 not corrected.

A3. third or fourth printing - number 3R15

Collation: as A2.

[2] Copyright, 1946 | By James Benson Nablo | All Rights Reserved. | Printed in Canada. | First News Stand Library Edition | November, 1948 | Second News Stand Library Edition | April, 1949 | EXPORT PUBLISHING ENTERPRISES LIMITED | 3079 DUNDAS STREET WEST TORONTO

Binding: Stapled signatures. Inside covers illustration – blank white. Title on spine as A2.a but green. Book number and “MDS” printed in green. Bands on back cover as A2.a but red. Back cover blurb as A2.a. Front cover red rather than purple as in A1.a, A1.b, A2 and B1.

Note: Errors on pages 115 and 117 not corrected. 

B1. second edition - number R15

Collation: as A2.

Binding: Stapled signatures. Inside covers illustration – strong reddish brown. Title on spine as A1.a. Back cover title and author as A1.a. Bands and blurb on back cover as A2.

Note: Errors on pages 115 and 117 fixed by removing the lines but not resetting the pages.

  

2A The Long November

A1.a.

The | LONG | NOVEMBER| By JAMES BENSON NABLO | [ornament: company logo] | A NEWS STAND LIBRARY POCKET EDITION

Collation: pp. [1-4] 5-160; 171 x 109 mm.

Contents: p. [1] This Book in Brief; [2] blacked out [COPYRIGHT 1946 | BY JAMES BENSON NABLO | All Rights Reserved] | FIRST NEWS STAND LIBRARY EDITION | PUBLISHED JUNE 1949 | Export Publishing Enterprises Limited | NEW TORONTO CANADA | Printed and Bound in Canada; [3] title; [4] For | Berta Kaslow; 5-160 text.

Binding: Perfect. Inside covers illustration – light purplish gray.

Note: First published – New York: E. P. Dutton, 1946. The description of the book on page [1] is identical to the NSL first series edition (13 S + R15) except that “in Canada” has been deleted from the end of the first sentence.

  

A1.b.

Binding: Perfect. Inside covers illustration – light orange.

Vehicule Press - 2014

Vehicule Press - back

Export Publishing Bibliography Part VI

Montreal's Vehicule Press has just published its 13th Ricochet Book - John Buell's 4 Days. Three of their books were originally published by Export Publishing. Here are the Export bibliographic entries and the Vehicule edition for Waste No Tears. There are two Export editions, a Canadian (116) and an US (27A).

116 Waste No Tears

A1.

WASTE | NO | TEARS | by | JARVIS | WARWICK | A NEWS STAND LIBRARY POCKET EDITION

Collation: pp. [1-5] 6-160; 177 x 108 mm.

Contents: p. [1] The Book at a Glance; [2] NEWS STAND LIBRARY POCKET EDITION | First Printing | July 1950 | Printed and bound in Canada | Export Publishing Enterprises Limited | TORONTO LONDON NEW YORK; [3] title; [4] blank; [5]-160 text.

Binding: Perfect. Inside covers illustration – slate blue. 

Note: Paperback original. Pseudonym of Hugh Garner. Signed art by Sid Dyke. 

27A Waste No Tears

A1.a.

WASTE | NO | TEARS | by | JARVIS | WARWICK | A NEWS STAND LIBRARY POCKET EDITION

Collation: pp. [1-4] 5-160; 176 x 109 mm.

Contents: p. [1] The Book at a Glance; [2] NEWS STAND LIBRARY POCKET EDITION | First Printing | July 1950 | Printed and bound in Canada | Export Publishing Enterprises Limited | TORONTO LONDON NEW YORK; [3] title; [4] blank; 5-160 text.

Binding: Perfect. Inside covers pattern with logo – light blue.

Note: Paperback original. Pseudonym of Hugh Garner. Signed art by Sid Dyke.  

Vehicule Press - 2014

Vehicule Press back

The Last Export

I have just found the last book from early Canadian paperback publisher Export Publishing Enterprises that I needed to complete my collection. As far as I know there are no further books, including reprints.

This is one of two books published in the American series (with the "A") that were unnumbered in the Canadian series. The edition I was missing was the DJ version.
 

News Stand Library 22A - February 1950

with dust jacket

 

News Stand Library 22A back

with dust jacket

News Stand Library 22A - February 1950

News Stand Library 22A back

Like, Literally, Totally Random

Immanuel Velikovsky's Worlds in Collision was published in April 1950 by New York's Macmillan. I can remember reading the Dell edition in the late 1960s. The copy below is the 10th printing from August 1972. The first, not surprisingly, is May 1967, the Summer of Love. Velikovsky's anti-(science) establishment text fit right in.

I've just read the newly published The Pseudoscience Wars (Chicago: University of Chicago Press) - highly recommend. Fascinating and well written.

What other books might have been found in a bookstore or on a newsstand in April 1950? Here are three, the first two in Canada, the last in the US.

Dell 9702 - August 1972 (10th printing)

Dell 9702 back

Harlequin 42 - April 1950

News Stand Library 103 - April 1950

News Stand Library 23A (with DJ) - April 1950