Doric Books (New York, U.S.)
Series dates: 1950
Size: 4.75″ x 7.25″
Much like Shakespeare House, a series of 15 classics published in the U.S. in 1951, Doric Books issued 6 titles in 1950 (with 6 more promised). The books are typical classics, except maybe for Hudson’s A Crystal Age. Like the Shakespeare House books, the jackets are unique to each title and bindings are also illustrated and seemingly aimed at a gift market. Books and jackets are designed by book and commercial illustrator Edmund Marein.
Three copies (Trollope’s The Warden, Chekhov’s Plays, and Thoreau’s Walden) were issued with 6 titles listed (on the jacket) in the series. Three copies (James’ Washington Square, Austen’s Northanger Abbey, and Hudson’s A Crystal Age) were issued with those 6 titles listed, and another 6 noted as forthcoming. The latter 6 were not published.
Jackets are in two colors and the jacket and binding color correspond. They include an illustration and the front jacket flap summarizes the book. The illustrators are also noted on the jacket flap. There is no price on the jacket but the series was illustrated in 1950 and 1951 with a $1.50 price (and discounts available if two or more were purchased).
The rear jacket flap with the 6 initial (and only) titles in the series.
Bindings were also illustrated on front and back.
All books include an illustrated frontispiece facing the title page.
Illustrations are copyrighted, but not the books themselves (all out of copyright).
A second variation jacket lists 6 additional titles, but these were not published (none show up in WorldCat).
The green jacket corresponds to the green binding on the book.
Additional jackets from the 6 titles in the series:
