Rog Peyton asked me if he could have a scan of the first and second printing of ‘Diary of a Nobody’ by George and Weedon Grossmith, a book from1892 which I still find funny after several readings. While scanning I took the opportunity to scan at a larger size and to recheck the board cover colours. I’m still not sure about one that appears light blue but as it doesn’t have a dust jacket I think it is just a sun faded version of the dark blue one I already have.

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While looking through my copies of ‘Diary of a Nobody’ I found a couple had the same Foyles sticker but one also had a postcard in it which on investigation is a story in itself. The card was printed by ‘The Sampson Press’, Woostock and the artist was Alison McKenzie. More about Alison and her sister can be found in the book ‘The McKenzie Sisters: The Lives and Art of Winifred and Alison McKenzie’ by Aylwin Clark. Click HERE to see a photo of them.

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‘Let’s Go’ were a series of travel guides started in 1960 by the Harvard Student Agency. They developed from a 20 sheet mimeographed pamphlet, put together by 18-year-old freshman Oliver Koppell, into a comprehensive range of 11 titles covering more than 40 countries. It was in 1989 that PAN started publishing them in the UK with St Martins Press doing the same in the US. They ceased publication in 2020 as a result of COVID.

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I’m always enjoy watching Jules Burt’s videos even when they are not necessarily connected to PAN but HERE is one that is. He looks at the Great PANs and it’s fascinating to see all the covers amongst which are some I have the artwork for and some of which are real clunkers.

I know there are many books about bookshops, looking at them from many different angles, such as the famous drif’s guide but I’ve just read six by bookshop proprietors. Two are by Jen Campbell and four by Shaun Bythhell. Click HERE to see them. PAN gets a mention in ‘Confessions of a Bookseller’

Shaun runs ‘The Book Shop’ in Wigton and I have been there a couple of times. I’m now trying to track down when we might have visited to see if we recognise ourselves in any of the books. I remember it was just like in the movies when we dropped in, being able to park right outside, but as to what I bought …..?

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Always nice to spot a cover in a series or by an author when you thought you had got them all but recently, like buses, not one but three came along. Two were Victor Canning titles, where his name is in a distinctive style, as above, with the titles being ‘Firecrest’ and ‘The Scorpio Letters’ I don’t know why PAN felt the need for another cover for ‘Firecrest’ but evidently they did. I don’t know which one came first as they are both 1973. The other was a copy of ‘Smiley’s People’ by John Le Carre but the Canadian edition which has taken so long to arrive I had forgotten all about it. It mentions Canadian TV on the cover and is printed in Canada.

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Having mentioned David Graham’s ‘Down To A Sunless Sea’ recently I found I also had a copy of his novel ‘Sidewall’ from 1983. Looking on the net there are several sites which show a different cover but all from the ‘stack them high, sell them cheap’ sites so I’m wondering if this cover actually exists as they all list it as a stock photo? I’d really like to know if it lists the cover artist as the style looks familiar.

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Just a reminder that the ‘Vintage Paperback and Pulp Book Fair’ is on in London next Sunday. Unfortunately I can’t make it I but will look forward to seeing the highlights in Jules Burt’s video.

While looking at John Atkinson’s site I spotted what I thought was a photo of the spines of PAN Bond books. On closer inspection I found they were not a photo but painted by Roo Waterhouse who specialises in ‘Shelf Portraits’ Roo has also done one of mainly PAN Agatha Chrsitie spines and another featuring a few PAN S F titles. Some images are available as prints, tote bags, cards and mugs and to see more click HERE. I pleased to say I now have one of her prints hanging on my wall. If you do feel like buying something don’t forget to mention you saw the link on my site.

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Several years ago I picked up a bundle of original artworks by William Francis Phillips including one for a  Penguin title and a few for New English Library titles but a couple remained a mystery, well that was up to now. I was casually looking at images of book covers and was delighted to see one I recognised. It was for ‘Summer of the Red Wolf’ by Morris West from NEL so that leaves one more on the unknow covers list from this batch, click HERE to see it. (Sorry the covers for Edge and Steele are poor but can’t find mine and these are off the net)

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There has been a couple of items relating to ‘The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy’ on eBay recently which made me have a second look but then decided that they may be worth the asking price to someone but I couldn’t bring myself to pay that much. One was for an original ‘Don’t Panic’ towel from PAN with an asking price of £220 while the poster was on offer for £52.

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Something

I have been going through newspaper archives looking for articles relating to PAN Books and I have found a few. The first couple relate to the arrival of PAN Books with the announcement of the thinking behind them and forthcoming titles. I have plenty more to use in future blogs.

      

     
The next clipping refers to problems with titles being delayed.

     

Some titles from 1951.

      
I’d love to get my hands on one of these from 1955.

     
Last one for this week the opening of the West Molesey despatch centre by Alan Bott’s wife, Josephine. Also there was Ralph Vernon-Hunt who was later to become the face of James Bond on the 1960’s book covers.

      

     
Me in almost the same spot in 2012.