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Tragedy of the Pacific
A story by [William James] Herbert Hayens
This story and its illustrations by Blampied may have appeared in as many as six children's annuals published by Collins. Herbert Hayens (1861-1944), the author, was also an editor with the company so presumably he could include the story in whatever title he wanted. The dates are estimated from inscriptions or copies in library catalogues, but as the titles were used for more than one annual, they could be wrong. The story may have first appeared in The Victory Adventure Book in 1918 or 1919, but I suspect that it wasn't illustrated by Blampied, as he did very few illustrations then; he was mostly working for Thomas Nelson. These story books were mostly aimed at the Christmas market for books for boys, so often have a gift inscription. They usually have printed board covers and were printed on unnumbered pages of thick rough paper with the colour illustrations printed on thin coated paper and bound in. Collins Adventure Annual is bound in blue cloth boards with an illustration pasted on the cover. The colour illustration in The Bumper Story Book is actually bound within the pages of the next story in the book. The colour illustration in the Bumper Book of Sea Stories is bound within the story.
Book title: Collins Adventure Annual*
Bibliography code: COL-22.3i
Publisher: Collins Clear-type Press
Year: [1922]
Format: 4to
Pages: not numbered
Binding: Blue cloth boards with title in gold at top and illustration pasted on cover; title, publisher and illustration on spine in blcak
Size: 257 x 193 mm
Internal illustrations: Frontspiece a colour plate signed Blam tipped onto grey paper; 3 line drawings, two signed Blam
Price: Not known
Printing history: None stated
Printed by: Collins Clear-type Press
Also in:
The Bumper Story Book,* [1922], COL-22.3ii
The Victory Adventure Book, [1922], COL-22.3iii
Pelt and Rifle Adventure Book, [1922], COL-22.3iv
The Bumper Book of Sea Stories*, [1926], COL-22.3v
Schoolboy's Holiday Book*, [1928], COL-22.3vi
Internal illustrations (click to enlarge)
Notes: I have four of these titles, which are marked with an asterisk.
The cover of Collins' Adventure Annual has an illustration by Dudley Tennant pasted on showing two cowboys, one on a white horse, one on an brown horse, being chased. It is detailed above.
The cover of The Bumper Story Book is by Arch Webb and shows men in two speedboats. This is a printed board book, 223 x 177 mm.
The cover of the Bumper Book of Sea Stories is by Sutcliffe and shows a boy at the wheel of a sailing ship. This is a printed board book, 223 x 177 mm
The Schoolboys' Holiday Book is one of Collins' Bumper Books and shows an illustration signed SF of boy holding a rugby ball. One of the artists listed on the front cover is 'BLAM'. This is a large printed board book with a cloth spine, 268 x 201 mm.
The Victory Adventure Book was first published in 1916, but it may have been an annual, as at least two different covers have been seen.