Harlequin and the RCMP Part II

The North-West Mounted Police was established in 1873 as a paramilitary police force to maintain law and order, and to be a visible symbol of Canadian sovereignty, in the newly acquired North-West Territories (including present-day Alberta and Saskatchewan). "Royal" was added to its name in 1904, and in 1920 the RNWMP merged with the DOMINION POLICE to form the ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE.

Harlequin Books loved the RCMP. Eleven of the 497 books Harlequin published between 1949 and 1959 were about the RCMP. Plus one more in 1960. With three of the books reprints there were nine titles in total. Here are two more from Harlequin - The Flaming Forest (New York: Cosmopolitan Books, 1921) and Devil's Portage (London: Cassell, 1940). Plus the American magazine True Detective Mysteries from July 1932 (Vol. 18 No. 4).

Harlequin 406 - November 1957

Harlequin 406 back

Harlequin 414 - February 1958

Harlequin 414 back

True Detective Mysteries - July 1932

Harlequin Reprints Part VII

Eighteen of Harlequin's 477 titles published between 1949 and 1959 were published with two numbers in the series, and one with three numbers. Here are two of the three RCMP novels with two numbers. Royce of the Royal Mounted is a second printing but The River's End is a new edition as the pages are reset.

Harlequin 66 - August 1950

Harlequin 66 back

Harlequin 399 - August 1957

Harlequin 399 back

Harlequin 162 - April 1952

Harlequin 162 back

Harlequin 380 - April 1957

Harlequin 380 back

Harlequin and the RCMP - Part I

The North-West Mounted Police was a paramilitary police force established in 1873 to maintain law and order, and to be a visible symbol of Canadian sovereignty, in the newly acquired North-West Territories (including present-day Alberta and Saskatchewan). "Royal" was added to its name in 1904, and in 1920 the RNWMP merged with the DOMINION POLICE to form the ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE.

Harlequin Books loved the RCMP. Eleven of the 497 books Harlequin published between 1949 and 1959 were about the RCMP. Plus one more in 1960. With three of the books reprints there were nine titles in total. Two of the early titles are shown here. The last two titles are Steele of the Royal Mounted (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1911 as Philip Steele of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police) and The Living Legend (Boston: Little, Brown, 1957). The former book is disguised in time and genre with a change in title, a classic romance cover and 1950s era styling.

Harlequin 429 - June 1958

Harlequin 429 back

Harlequin 522 - May 1960

Harlequin 522 back

Canada Day

The British North American Act, enacted March 29, 1867 by the British Parliament, provided for Confederation of the three British North American colonies, Canada (Upper and Lower), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Now much amended as the Constitution Act, 1867, it was proclaimed into law on July 1, 1867 and Canada was born. The first official birthday celebration was in 1868, July 1 being named Dominion Day in 1879 and Canada Day in 1982.

The mid-century Canada that readers of the early Harlequin Books knew is much different from the 2010 Canada but not unrecognizable. Two institutions that all Canadians in 1950 would have recognized have been in the news recently - the Monarchy and the RCMP.

One amazing connection with mid-century Canada is Queen Elizabeth. Visiting Canada this week she is also on the covers of an early Harlequin. The Royal Story by Richard J. Doyle (1923 - 2003) was first published by McGraw-Hill (Toronto: 1952) with the Harlequin edition following in January 1953.  

Harlequin 213

Harlequin 213 back

The RCMP was featured in eight Harlequin fiction titles and one non-fiction. Here are a couple. Royce of the Royal Mounted by Amos Moore (1884 - 1958) was first published by The Macaulay Company (New York: 1932). The first edition of James Oliver Curwood's (1878 - 1927) The River's End was published in 1919 by The Cosmopolitan Book Company of New York.

Harlequin 66 - August 1950

Harlequin 66 back

Harlequin 162 - April 1952

Harlequin 162 back