aka/ O.M. Series
Blackie and Son Ltd. (London, Glasgow, UK)
Series dates: 1938-1940
Size: 5.25″ x 7.5″
A series of biographies commissioned by Blackie and Son, each of an Order of Merit member, published in the late 1930s. Those who receive the Order can put the letters O.M. after their names – thus the series is also known as the O.M. Series. The series published the last of its titles in 1940, totaling 9 books in all:
W.A. Darlington. J.M. Barrie (1938)
Thomas Frederick Dunhill. Sir Edward Elgar (1938)
William Rutland. Thomas Hardy (1938)
Edward Altham. Jellicoe (1938)
Alexander Russell. Lord Kelvin (1938)
Hermann de Watteville. Lord Roberts (1938)
Hermann de Watteville. Lord Kitchener (1939)
Cyril Falls. Marshal Foch (1939)
N. Feather. Lord Rutherford (1940)
The jackets are rather unimpressive, common to the series and printed in one color and black. The series name is included on the jacket spine. The front of the jacket contains a wreath design with ‘O.M.’ Series. The front jacket flap includes a drawing of the Order of Merit medal with an explanation of the Order.
The back of the jacket lists the first 6 titles in the series. Size is Crown 8vo, 5s. net each, illustrated.
Basic blue cloth binding with the author, title and publisher indicated on the spine. The cover of the book is blank. There is no indication of the series on the outside of the book.
The half-title page repeats the drawing of the Order of Merit medal.
The half-title page is followed by a list of 5 of the 6 titles in the series (not including the Lord Kelvin title, the book illustrated).
The title page is faced with a photograph of Lord Kelvin. The title page has the date of publication, 1938.
The copyright page includes the date of publication, “First Published in 1938.”
