Studio Publications Part VII

Ten years ago I introduced the Junior Adventure Library from Toronto's Studio Publications. It is an obscure four issue paperback series targeted to kids published in 1952. Three of the titles are well known texts and/or authors. The fourth is different. I just found this uncommon book and learned that it is a collection of four stories.

The book is digest sized with 90 pages of text, including five illustrations. All artwork is unsigned.

Dawn Patrol by Thomson Burtis (1896-1971). First published in the June 1924 issue of American Boy. As far as I can tell this is the only book appearance.

The Man Who Went Down by Laurie York Erksine. The source for the story is unknown.

"I Am a Dog" Confessions of a Dachshund by Clark W. Grayson. I can find nothing about the author or story.

"Bawler Out" and "Nimble-Feet"  by William Heyliger (1884-1950). The source for the story is unknown.

A 1955 Canadian Lung Association Christmas Seal stamp has been added to the front cover.

Studio Junior Adventure Library J2 - 1952

Studio Junior Adventure Library J2 back

Studio Publications Part VI

In the first five parts about the small Toronto paperback publisher Studio Publications I discussed the 15 books Studio published. There is also a four book series called the Junior Adventure Library.

Unlike the 15 adult books, the JAL books have some information about Studio, viz. a printing date of 1952 and an address, the Bloorhill Building on the Kingsway in Toronto. This ties in with information in the 1953 Toronto City Directory which has Stanley R. Schrag as the manager publishing of Studio at 2842 Bloor St. West, Suite 205. This is the address of the Bloorhill Building which is still there. We met Schrag as the president of Export Publishing Enterprises.

The books are a mixed bag - two classics each available in hundreds of editions, an obscure Jules Verne and one from a very obscure author. All are digest size (139mm x 202mm) and 96 pages.

J1 The Blockade Runners by Jule Verne. First published in 1871 as Les forceurs de blocus.

J2 Dawn Patrol by Thomson Burtis. First published in the June 1924 issue of American Boy. As far as I can tell this is the only book appearance.

J3 Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp. Three stories - Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp, The Three Sisters, and The Enchanted Horse.

J4 Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

Studio J3 - 1952

Studio J3 back

Studio Publications Part V

Here's the last part, at least for now, of the Studio Publications post. The first four parts discussed the first 11 books of the 14 published in the Studio Pocket imprint plus one of the four published in the Junior Adventure Library series. Here are the last three Studio Pockets plus another Junior Adventure Library. The books were published in 1952.

Book 112 is The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier (first published London: Victor Gollancz, 1949). Artist unknown.

Book 113 is The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill (New York: W. W. Norton, 1950). The photograph on the cover is from The Wooden Horse, a British film released in 1950. This is a WW II prison escape film but not based on The Great Escape (which was filmed under that name in 1963). Rather it is based on The Wooden Horse by Eric Williams.

Book 114 is The Frogmen by T. J. Waldron and James Gleeson (London: Evans Brothers, 1950). Artist unknown. 

The Junior Adventure Library is number J3 Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp. Artist unknown.

Studio Publications Part IV

In the first post of this series about Toronto's Studio Publications I said that Studio published 14 books in the early 50s. Until about an hour ago I still believed that. I've just learned that there were at least another four books published in an imprint called Junior Adventure Library. The books I've been able to tease out of the Internet are:

The Blockade Runners by Jules Verne
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp by anon.
Dawn Patrol by Thomson Burtis

Here is Robinson Crusoe.
 

I've mentioned before when I introduced my Canadian Paperback Guides that one of the pleasant challenges of collecting vintage Canadian paperbacks is establishing the population. Every once in a while books like these pop up. If anyone knows of other books in this series please let me know.