Anthony Blond (London, UK)
Series dates: 1966-1968
Stein & Day Inc. (New York, US)
Series dates: 1966-1968
Size: 5.75″ x 8.75″
Publishers Weekly (vol. 19, 1967) announced the co-publication of the reprint series the Doughty Library by Anthony Blond of London and Stein & Day of New York. The series’ general editor was Herbert van Thal, one of the publishers of English Novelists Series (1947-1954). Anthony Blond established his imprint in 1952. The publisher was acquired by Hutchinson in 1987. Stein & Day was founded by writer and editor Sol Stein and his wife Patricia Day in 1962 and was closed after a bankruptcy in 1989.
The Doughty Library was named after Doughty Street in London, where Blond’s company was located, suggesting that it was Blond that conceived of the series. The series focused on British and American Victorian novels and reached at least 13 titles with 5 more announced but seemingly not published. Both the UK and US series seem to have the same titles, same jackets, and book design, differing only in the publisher’s imprint. The last titles were printed by 1968, but some reprints appear through the early 2000s.
The series comes late in the time-range of 20th-century series, given that many hardcover series had been or were being discontinued due to pressure from paperback series. The Doughty Library follows the classic format for literary series: a selection of notable (if in some cases somewhat obscure) titles, scholarly introductions, in a decently bound book suitable for long-term possession. This all suggests that the Doughty Library was more of a labor of love than money-maker.
Jackets are printed on tan paper with fussy Victorian drawings. The jacket design is common to the series. The Doughty Library name (followed by No.) is printed on the jacket so that the series number (in this case 12) can be printed with the rest of the book specific dust jacket information. The series name and number are included on both the jacket spine and front. An overview of the book begins on the front jacket flap and continues on the rear jacket flap. The price is $6.95 for this title.
The rear jacket (and flap) continues the illustration but is otherwise lacking additional textual information.
This book is bound in shocking pink cloth with gold typography. The series name and serial number are embossed on the book spine.
The half-title page:
The entire run of 18 titles in the series is listed on the page facing the title page.
The copyright page includes the date of copyright and publication (1968) and information about the printing, which was in Northern Ireland. Books in both the US and British versions were undoubtedly printed at the same time, differing only in the publisher’s imprint and copyright information.
Titles in the series include:
1. An Eye for an Eye, Anthony Trollope, Introduction by Simon Raven
2. No Name, Wilkie Collins, Introduction by Herbert van Thal
3. Under Two Flags, Ouida, Introduction by Olivia Manning
4. The Making of a Marchioness, Mrs. Hodgson Burnett, Introduction by Marghanita Laski
5. Mrs. Haliburton’s Troubles (The Channings), Mrs. Henry Wood, Introduction by Alan Dent
6. Confessions of a Thug, P. Meadows Taylor, Introduction by Brian Rawson
7. The Sowers, Henry Seton Merriman, Introduction by John Carter
8. The Position of Peggy Harper, Leonard Merrick, Introduction by Phyllis Bentley
9. Red Pottage, Mary Cholmondeley, Introduction by D. Tindall
10. The Odd Women, George Gissing, Introduction by Frank Swinnerton
11. A Man’s Man, Ian Hay, Introduction by David Holloway
12. The House by the Church-yard, Sheridan Le Fanu, Introduction by Elizabeth Bowen
13. The Maid of Sker, R.D. Blackmore, Introduction by James Harding
*14. Mehalah, Sabine Baring-Gould, Introduction by John Fowles
*15. The West Indies and The Spanish Main, Anthony Trollope, Introduction by Herbert van Thal
*16. Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman, E.W. Hornung, Introduction by Anthony Curtis
*17. Charles O’Malley, Charles Lever, Introduction by Brigadier P.H.C. Hayward
*18. A Memoir of Charles Mayne Young, with Extracts from his Son’s Journal (non-fiction), Julian Charles Young, Introduction by J.C. Trewin
* Not published
