DM1294/4
Research Files
Research material collected by Linda Lloyd Jones in preparation for the ‘Fifty Penguin Years’
exhibition and book to mark the 50th anniversary of Penguin Books in 1985. The material includes
copies of Penguins Progress, press cuttings, correspondence, Penguin facts and figures, and files
relating to Penguin authors, Penguin overseas, Penguin Group companies and Penguin events.
Arranged as follows:
DM1294/4/1: Penguins Progress
DM1294/4/2: Penguin facts and figures
DM1294/4/3: Penguin authors
DM1294/4/4: Penguin employees
DM1294/4/5: Penguin overseas
DM1294/4/6: Penguin Group companies
DM1294/4/7: Penguin books as design features
DM1294/4/8: ‘How Penguin Succeeded’ by Peter Danckwerts
DM1294/4/9: ‘The Penguin Survival Kit’ by Laurie Lee
DM1294/4/10: Collets bookshop
DM1294/4/11: Photographs of Penguin 50th anniversary events and logo
DM1294/4/12: Penguin 50th anniversary events and exhibitions
DM1294/4/13: Penguin 50th anniversary press coverage
DM1294/4/14: Christmas cards from Penguin Books Ltd.
DM1294/4/1: Penguins Progress
The home magazine and publicity booklet of Penguin Books, sent free of charge to readers who
requested it. Due to paper rationing the magazine was not published between 1940 and 1946. The
last issue (no.14) appeared in 1951.
DM1294/4/1/1
Photocopy of a list of books to be published at The Bodley Head in
Spring 1936. [Designed by Edward Young]
Spring 1936
Includes an advertisement for “New ‘Penguins’” nos.1-40.
DM1294/4/1/2
Photocopy of ‘Penguin’s Progress’, Christmas 1936.
Christmas
1936
A complete list of Penguin Book titles published by The Bodley
Head to Christmas 1936.
DM1294/4/1/3
Photocopy of ‘Penguins March into April 1937’.
April 1937
List of new Penguin, Penguin Shakespeare, and Pelican titles.
DM1294/4/1/4
Photocopy of ‘Penguins Progress’, [May 1937].
[May 1937]
“100 Not Out”. Announcing the publication of the 100th Penguin
Book, Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s The Worst Journey in The World.
Production of a limp cloth case available from booksellers for
covering Penguin books.
DM1294/4/1/5
DM1294/4
Photocopy of ‘Penguins Progress’, Autumn 1937.
Autumn 1937
1
Includes articles about Maurois’s biography of Disraeli; Liddell Hart
on Foch; announcement of The Great Victorians series; extracts
from Professor Harold J. Laski’s ‘Liberty in the Modern State’;
article about Professor J.B. S. Haldane’s ‘The Inequality of Man’;
extract from Fabre’s ‘Social Life in the Insect World’; advertisement
for ‘Penguin Parade’; Noel Coward recommends ‘While Rome
Burn’s and Rebecca West agrees; and advertisement for sending
Penguins as Christmas presents.
DM1294/4/1/6
Photocopy of ‘Penguins Progress’, May 1938. [Illustrated by
George Oliver]
May 1938
Includes announcement of the Penguin Illustrated Classics series;
article introducing the team of Penguin artists (Robert Gibbings,
Helen Binyon, Gwendoline Raverat, Douglas Percy Bliss, Ethelbert
White, Iain Macnab, J.R. Biggs, Gertrude Hermes and Theodore
Nash); four new Penguin Specials.
DM1294/4/1/7
‘Penguins Progress’, Winter 1938. [Illustrated by George Oliver]
Winter 1938
Includes announcements of Virginia Woolf’s The Uncommon Critic;
A.N. Whitehead’s Science and the Modern World; The Century’s
Poetry 1837-1937 edited by D. Kilham Roberts; Beatrice Webb’s
My Apprenticeship; G.D.H. Cole’s Socialism and Evolution;
Howard Coster appointed official photographer of Penguin authors;
Penguin Specials: The Press by Wickham Steed, Warning from the
West by W.M. Macmillan, Literary Taste by Arnold Bennett, The
Great Illusion – Now by Norman Angell, The Jewish Problem by
Louis Golding, Mowrer in China by Edgar Ansel Mowrer, Britain
by Mass-Observation, Design by Anthony Bertram, Ourselves and
Germany by Lord Londonderry, and What Hitler Wants by E.O.
Lorimer; Blue Angels and Whales by Robert Gibbings; bookcases
for Penguins.
DM1294/4/1/8
Photocopy of ‘Penguins Progress’, early Spring 1939. [Illustrated
by George Oliver]
Spring 1939
Includes article by C.L.S about John Fothergill; advertisement for
Penguin Guides edited by L. Russell Muirhead; advertisement for
Penguin Specials: China Struggles for Unity by J.M.D. Pringle,
Between Two Wars? By Vigilantes (K. Zilliacus), You and the
Refugee by Norman Angell and Dorothy Frances Buxton, Why War?
by C.E.M. Joad, Britain’s Health based on P.E.P report, GermanyWhat Next?, One Man Against Europe by Konrad Heiden.
DM1294/4/1/9
‘Penguins Progress’, Summer 1939. [Illustrated by George Oliver]
Summer 1939
Includes articles about Penguin Guides edited by L. Russell
Muirhead; Allen Lane; Penguin Parade; Penguin Specials: The
Attack from Within by Elwyn Jones, Poland by Professor W.J. Rose,
The New German Empire by Dr F. Borkenau, Our Food Problem by
DM1294/4
2
F.Le Gros Clark and R.M. Titmuss; Penguin Shakespeare; Microbes
by the Million by Dr Hugh Nicol; an interview with George Bernard
Shaw; an interview with William Saroyan; suggested holiday
reading for the Territorial Army Camp, cruising, yachting, holiday
camp, cycling , fishing, hiking, by the sea, going abroad and
camping.
DM1294/4/1/10 Printed letter from Penguin Books Ltd. to ‘Dear Sir or Madam’, n.d. n.d. [1946]
[1946]. The letter explains that due to paper rationing during the
war ‘Penguins Progress’ had to be suspended, but that a new limited
edition is now available, one-fifth of its pre-war size, for the price of
a penny stamp. Illustrated with sketches of a penguin writing a letter
and a penguin reading a roll call. (draft and 2 copies)
Printed postcard from Penguin Books Ltd. acknowledging a
subscription to 'Penguins Progress', n.d. [1946]. The letter explains
that due to labour shortages, voters' registers and 'half-a-dozen other
obstacles' 'Penguins Progress' has been delayed but that the first
issue will arrive shortly. With an apology for the limited number of
Penguin books available but that 'we shall continue to produce every
copy that can be squeezed out of our paper quota'.
DM1294/4/1/11 Photocopy of ‘Penguins Progress’, Summer 1946. [Illustrated by
Patricia Stapenhorst (Patricia Morriss)]
Summer 1946
[The first issue to appear for nearly six years due to paper rationing].
Includes articles about Pelicans in America; George Bernard Shaw’s
90th birthday and the publication of 100,000 copies of ten of Shaw’s
books; The Diary of a Nobody; Penguin Guide to the Sciences;
Penguin Film Review; The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford;
Appointment in Samarrai by Somerset Maugham; Elizabeth Bowen;
Rex Warner; L.H. Myers; William Temple, Archbishop of
Canterbury; James Aitken; Fountains in the Sand by Norman
Douglas; Traveller from Tokyo by John Morris; Russia Today;
Fishlore by A.F. Magri MacMabon; Common Wild Flowers by Dr
John Hutchinson; The Penguin Handyman by Foster Wiseman;
Preserves for all Occasions by Alice Crang; The Penguin Modern
Painter series edited by Sir Kenneth Clark; The Penguin Classics
series edited by E.V. Rieu.
DM1294/4/1/12 Photocopy of ‘Penguins Progress’, October 1946. [Illustrated by
Patricia Stapenhorst (Patricia Morriss)]
October 1946
Includes articles on a request for new history books; books for
Europe; H.G. Wells and the publication of 100,000 copies of ten of
H.G. Wells’ volumes; Mr Cooper’s book on the Nuremberg Trials;
The Anatomy of Peace by Emery Reves; Hiroshima by John Hersey;
Science News; The Englishman Builds by Ralph Tubbs; The
Anatomy of the Village by Thomas Sharp; The Things we See series;
‘Translating the Classics’ by E.V. Rieu; Music Quarterlies; Music
Magazine; home binding.
DM1294/4
3
DM1294/4/1/13 ‘Penguins Progress’, Christmas 1946. [Designed and illustrated by
Ruari McLean]
Christmas
1946
Includes articles about the cost of producing books; the National
Book League Exhibition of British Book Illustration; The Science of
Seeing being the first shilling Pelican to have a full colour plate; the
King Penguin edition of A Christmas Carol; Dragons are Extra by
Major Lewis Hastings; Penguin detective stories; children’s books;
the King Penguin series; Robert Louis Stevenson; The Nuremberg
Trials by R.W. Cooper; Penguin Hansard; The Anatomy of Peace;
John Citizen and the Law by Ronald Rubinstein; the Music
Magazine.
DM1294/4/1/14 ‘Penguins Progress’, no.4, Easter 1947. [Designed and illustrated by Easter 1947
Ruari McLean]
Includes articles about double volumes; an increase in printing,
binding and distribution costs; The Tragic Comedians by George
Meredith; Gryll Grange by Thomas Love Peacock; a Brontë
centenary; Penguin green crime covers; awards made to Penguin in
the National Book League’s 1947 Exhibition of Book Design; The
Warden by Anthony Trollope; The Child of Jago; A Narrow Street;
Henry James; Arnold Bennett; Adam and Eve and Pinch Me;
Graham Greene; Anson’s Voyage Round the World; John Citizen
and the Law; The World’s Wealth by W.G. Moore; Climbing in
Britain by J.E.Q. Barford; revised editions of the Penguin Guides to
England and Wales series; England’s Green and Pleasant Land;
English Letters of the 19th Century by James Aitken; Penguin Parade
– Second Series; The Penguin Shakespeare; Thomas Bewick, King
Penguin edition; Flowers of the Woods by Sir Edward Salisbury; Ur
– The First Phases by Sir Leonard Woolley; A History of English
Clocks.
DM1294/4/1/15 ‘Penguins Progress’, no.5, September 1947. [Designed by Jan
Tschichold].
September
1947
Includes article about five leading publishers (Chatto & Windus,
Faber & Faber, Hamish Hamilton, Heinemann and Michael Joseph)
having assigned to Penguin Books the paper-bound reprint rights of
several of the titles; the new Penguin and Pelican double volume
emblems; Jan Tschichold joining Penguin Books; Labour Marches
On by John Parker; The Case for Conservatism by Quentin Hogg;
Ben Shahn in Penguin Modern Painters series; Penguins in foreign
languages; Puffin Cut-Out Books; new King Penguins; ‘Mass
Production and the Art of the Book’ by Oliver Simon; The First
Eighteen Months; Russian Icons; ‘Humour and G.K. Chesterton’ by
Jeanne Lindley.
DM1294/4/1/16 Handwritten note from Ruari McLean to Allen Lane listing his
criticisms and suggestions concerning ‘Penguins Progress’ no.5, 14
January 1948.
DM1294/4
14 January
1948
4
DM1294/4/1/17 Photocopy of ‘Penguins Progress’, no.6, July 1948.
July 1948
Includes news about subscriptions to Penguin periodicals; an
arrangement with Agatha Christie and her publishers, Williams
Collins,
for a special issue of ten of her best crime titles; arrangements to
distribute in the UK the publications of the Museum of Modern Art
of New York; Penguins Australia; ‘Three out of Five’ by W.E.
Williams; Penguin Prints; ‘A hundred thousand years each way’; an
analysis of titles published since the last issues of Penguins
Progress; ‘Choosing Puffins’: Eleanor Graham discusses the
qualities she looks for in planning children’s books; ‘Shakespeare:
was he human?’ by Ivor Brown; Penguins abroad.
DM1294/4/1/18 ‘Penguins Progress’, no.7, March 1949. [Includes illustrations by
George Oliver and Patricia Stapenhorst (Patricia Morriss)]
March 1949
Includes news about exports to the USA; new crime titles; Pelicans;
Puffins; reprints; Penguin Guides; Penguin Periodicals; Penguin
Prints; All in the Line by Saul Steinberg; The Things we See series;
Allen Lane being awarded an honorary MA from Bristol University
on 6 July 1948.
DM1294/4/1/19 ‘Penguins Progress’, no.8, n.d. [1949].
n.d. [1949]
Includes news about plans to publish ten of Ngaio Marsh’s crime
novels in editions of 100,000 each; Pelicans; the bicentenary of
Goethe; photograph of the Penguin Bookshop at no.10 Hosking
Place, Sydney, Australia; Penguin Pocket Music Scores series; King
Penguins; Penguin Personalities (Nikolaus Pevsner, Allen Lane,
E.V. Rieu, H.F. Paroissien, W.E. Williams); centenary of The
California and Oregon Trail by Francis Parkman; Penguin Lives
series; Puffin Story Books and Puffin Picture Books; The Things we
See series; Modern Painters series; awards to Penguin at the
National Book League Annual Exhibition of Book Design.
DM1294/4/1/20 ‘Penguins Progress’, no.9, n.d. [1949].
n.d. [1949]
Includes news about the Arts Council of Great Britain; a Pelican
Guide to Art; Penguin Modern Painters; opera and ballet; musical
guides; crime books; fifteen new group titles; Penguin Classics;
Puffin Story Books; Puffin Picture Books; Pelicans; I Choose Peace
by K. Killiacus; Contact Bridge for Everyone by Ely Culbertson;
King Penguin; party in June 1949 to celebrate the publication of the
50th volume in the King Penguin series, Popular Art in the United
States by Erwin Christensen (including photographs of the party);
the publication and performance of the first model theatre play, The
High Toby by J.B. Priestley (with photographs); photograph of
Penguin’s production recording-system manufactured by Block and
Anderson Ltd.; Penguins in Canada; selected works of D.H.
Lawrence; Penguin periodicals.
DM1294/4
5
DM1294/4/1/21 ‘Penguins Progress’, no.10, 1950.
1950
Includes news about the publication of a special selection of ten
volumes of D.H. Lawrence’s work to mark the twentieth anniversary
of Lawrence’s death; Penguin Classics; sales of Penguin books in
the USA; Penguin Modern Painters series; Penguin detective and
crime books; The Welsh by Wyn Griffith; A Prospect of Wales by
Professor Gwyn Jones; Pelican histories; ‘The Faith of a Translator’
by E.V. Rieu; Common Wild Flowers by Dr John Hutchinson;
Penguin Poets series; Penguin Periodicals; Puffin books; Science
News; King Penguins; photograph of the Penguin stand at the
November 1949 Sunday Times Book Fair.
DM1294/4/1/22 ‘Penguins Progress’, no.11, 1950.
1950
Includes articles about Somerset Maugham; Phyllis Bentley’s
Freedom Farewell; Monica Dickens’s Mariana; Angela Thirkell’s
The Brandons; Frank Baker’s Miss Hargreaves; Saki’s Beasts and
Super Beasts; the Pelican archaeologies; Penguin Poetry; D.H.
Lawrence; King Penguins; Sherlock Holmes; decision to close
Penguin New Writing; ‘Margery Allingham on Mr Campion and
Myself’; New Biology; Penguin Music Scores; Penguin Classics;
Puffins.
DM1294/4/1/23 ‘Penguins Progress’, no.12, 1950.
1950
Includes announcement of the Penguin Book Exhibition at 117
Piccadilly, London from 21 November to 2 December 1950;
‘American Quintet’ (Sinclair Lewis, J.P. Marquand, Louis
Bromfield, John Steinbeck and T.S. Stribling); suggestions for
Christmas book gifts; Joseph Conrad; Katherine Mansfield; Harold
Acton; the holding up of a consignment of 5,000 copies of The
Golden Ass by the Australian Customs authorities; Penguin Green
Crime novels; A.J.A. Symons’s The Quest for Corvo; new Pelicans’;
‘Truth in Biography’ by Hesketh Pearson; Pelican Science and
Reference books; The Good Soldier Schweik by Jaroslav Hasek; the
increase in the price of Puffin Picture Books.
DM1294/4/1/24 ‘Penguins Progress’, no.13, 1951.
1951
Includes reprint of an article from The Times Literary Supplement
entitled ‘Penguins and Pelicans’; ‘A Pride of Penguins’ by W.E.
Williams; photographs of the party held at the opening of the
Penguin Book Exhibition in November 1950; ‘The Works of Evelyn
Waugh’ by Douglas Woodruff; The Odyssey; ‘The Present
Condition of Poetry’ by Stephen Spender; ‘Book-Breeders’ Show’;
‘Modern Swedish Architecture’ by J.M. Richards; ‘Once Upon a
Time’ by J.E. Morpurgo; ‘The Use of Miniature Scores’ by Gordon
Jacob.
DM1294/4/1/25 ‘Penguins Progress’, no.14, 1951.
DM1294/4
1951
6
Includes The Canterbury Tales by Nevill Coghill; ‘Celebrating the
Arts’ by W.E. Williams, including photographs of the Festival of
Britain; ‘On Satire’ by Stevie Smith; ‘The English Scene’ by
Geoffrey Grigson; ‘Outdoor Activities’ by Victor Bonham-Carter;
‘Festival Art’ by Eric Newton; ‘The Artist at Work’ by Alfred
Scharf; ‘The Background of Penguin Typography’ by Beatrice
Warde.
DM1294/4/1/26 Flyer from Penguin Books to “Dear Reader”, concerning a request
for readers to let Penguin know if they wish to remaining on the
‘Penguins Progress’ mailing list, n.d. [1950s].
n.d. [1950s]
DM1294/4/2: Penguin facts and figures
Material collected by Linda Lloyd Jones in preparation for a ‘Fascinating Facts’ file for use in
publicising Penguin’s 50th anniversary in 1985.
DM1294/4/2/1
Photocopies of pages from Penguin Book Ltd.’s trading and profit
and loss account, 1947-1962.
1947-1962
Includes an annual summary of the total book sales figures arranged
by series.
(16 docs)
DM1294/4/2/2
Penguin Reports to Staff, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984.
(4 docs)
1976, 1982,
1983, 1984
DM1294/4/2/3
‘Performance of the UK Publishing Industry: Survey of Business
Monitoring Statistics’, The Publishers Association, 1983.
1983
DM1294/4/2/4
Photocopy of a list detailing the salaries paid to employees of
Penguin Books Ltd. between 31 March 1946 and 31 December
1947.
1946-1947
Employees listed are W. Allison (looker-out), T. Ball (looker-out),
W. Boughey (despatch clerk), W.Brimmell (packer), Miss Conry
(shorthand typist and clerk), W.B. Day (assistant manager), L.
Dobson (looker-out), H. Gardner (packer), T. Givens (clerk), W.
Hampson (packer), R. Hewitt (despatch clerk), H. Hindle (foreman
packer), S.R. Hoyle (packer), F. Lindsay (senior looker-out), F.G.
Lord (manager), M. Marshall (packer), S.O. Mills (representative),
R. Monk (Powers Samas), Miss Nicolson (clerk), W. Rigby (Powers
Samas), Mrs Wilton (shorthand typist) and Miss Young (shorthand
typist).
DM1294/4/2/5
DM1294/4
Photocopy of Spicer and Pegler’s comments on Messrs. James E.
Ward & Son’s report on Penguin Books Ltd., 31 January 1949.
Covers the structure of the business, the ‘saturation point’, future
profits of the business, capital value of business, methods of
financing the business, the ethical aims of Mr Lane, and ‘target’
accounts.
1949
7
DM1294/4/2/6
Export Paperback turnover in 1981, including Penguin Book Ltd.’s
percentage of the total sales for 1977-1981.
1981
DM1294/4/2/7
Sales figures for Penguin Books:
1935-1985
List of the quantity of Penguin book sales per annum 1935-1979.
Titles selling more than 5,000 copies in 1963.
List of Penguin all-time bestsellers to December 1968.
List of Penguin book titles with a sale rate of 10,000-12,499, n.d. [to
December 1968?].
List of Penguin book titles with a sale rate of 12,500-14,999, n.d. [to
December 1968?].
List of Penguin book titles with a sale rate of 15,000-17,499, n.d. [to
December 1968?].
List of Penguin book titles with a sale rate of 17,500-19,999, n.d. [to
December 1968?].
List of Penguin book titles with a sale rate of 20,000-22,499, n.d. [to
December 1968?].
List of Penguin book titles with a sale rate of 22,500-24,999, n.d. [to
December 1968?].
List of Penguin book titles with a sale rate of 25,000+, n.d. [to
December 1968?].
List of number of Penguin titles in stock by series, 12 Jun e1985.
Memorandum listing the total sales worldwide of Penguin Black
Classics and the Penguin English Library in 1984.
Memorandum from John Rolfe to Linda Lloyd Jones concerning
billion selling Penguin books, 24 June 1985.
Sales figures for Kestrel Books, 1981-1982.
Draft lists of candidates for the top ten individual books,
books/authors sold over one million copies, longest books
continuously in print, 1985.
(17 docs)
DM1294/4/2/8
Sales figures for Penguin authors:
1956-1985
List of Penguin authors with their book sales figures, 1956-1984.
Sales figures for Arnold Bennett’s Penguin titles, 1975-1978.
Sales figures for Carolos Castaneda’s Penguin titles, 1970-1979.
Sales figures for Edward de Bono’s Penguin titles, 1972-1976.
Sales figures for J.P. Donleavy’s Penguin titles, 1967-1977.
Sales figures for Ernest Hemingway’s Penguin titles, 1960-1963.
Sales figures for M.M. Kaye’s The Far Pavilions, 1981-1985.
(7 docs)
DM1294/4/2/9
Facts and figures about Harmondsworth Distribution Centre
compiled by Arthur Cotton in February 1985.
DM1294/4/2/10 Linda Lloyd Jones’s correspondence and notes concerning the
compilation of facts and figures about Penguin for Penguin’s 50th
anniversary in 1985.
DM1294/4
1985
1985
8
Includes information about Penguin’s warehouse development and
operation, Puffin books sales, Peter Mayer’s comment on the draft of
the Penguin Fifty Years book, John Rolfe’s comment on the essay on
cover design for the Penguin Fifty Years book, and summary totals
of Penguin Group profits 1979-1984, Penguin’s worldwide turnover
in 1984, the percentage of Penguin’s sales by principal territory in
1984 and the percentage of Penguin sales in export by area in 1984.
(13 docs)
DM1294/4/3: Penguin authors
Research material collected by Linda Lloyd Jones relating to Penguin authors, R.A. Saville-Sneath
and George Bernard Shaw for the purposes of the ‘Penguin Fifty Years’ exhibition in 1985.
DM1294/4/3/1 R.A. Saville-Sneath:
1985
Correspondence between Linda Lloyd Jones and R.A. Saville-Sneath,
13 May-6 December 1985.
Concerning the background to and sales of Aircraft Recognition
(Penguin Specials S82 and S112), a new manuscript written by R.A.
Saville-Sneath entitled ‘The Sinister Lake and the Pool of Despond’,
and Penguin’s 50th anniversary reception on 19 September 1985.
(10 docs)
DM1294/4/3/2 George Bernard Shaw:
1939-1949
Photocopies of correspondence from G. Bernard Shaw taken from the
Penguin editorial files, with copy of a memorandum of agreement
made 7 March 1940 between George Bernard Shaw and Penguin
Books Ltd. to publish Pygmalion, and lists of sales figures for Shaw’s
Penguin titles.
(3 docs)
DM1294/4/4: Penguin employees
Research material collected by Linda Lloyd Jones relating to former Penguin employees for the
purposes of the ‘Penguin Fifty Years’ exhibition in 1985.
DM1294/4/4/1 Linda Lloyd Jones’s correspondence and notes concerning her efforts
to trace former Penguin employees, 25 August 1983-20 May 1985.
1983-1985
Includes information about former Penguin employees, their names
and addresses and employment dates. Also includes lists of printers
to Penguin, names of people to interview, and Linda Lloyd Jones’s
form of recommendation for admission to the Bodleian Library.
(35 docs)
DM1294/4/4/2 Information compiled from the staff record cards of former Penguin
employees, 2 May 1984. Gives the date of birth and death, job titles
and current address for the following former members of staff:
DM1294/4
1984
9
Alan Aldridge (fiction art editor), David Bann (divisional director to
Penguin Publishing Division), Simon Brown (marketing department),
Keith Burns (deputy chief typographer), Oliver Caldecott (fiction
editor, director), Richard Coomber (adult marketing manger),
Christopher Dolley (joint managing director, chairman), Dorothea
Duncan (publicity manager Longman Young Books), Germano
Facetti (non-fiction art editor), Eunice Frost/Mrs Kemp (director),
Alan Glover (chief editor), Tony Godwin (special director), Richard
Hildesley (art department manager), Richard Hill (children’s
marketing manager), Bob Hollingworth (senior graphic designer),
Ivan Holmes (deputy art director), James Holmes (production
director), Stephen Kent (art director), Cherriwyn Magill (art director),
Romek Marber (freelance to Germano Facetti), Arthur Mould (rep),
George Nicholls (warehouse, estates maintenance manager), John
Overton (production manager), Harry Paroissien (director), David
Pelham (art director), Fred Price (typography department manager),
Hans Schmoller (production director), Meaburn Staniland (blurb
writer), Jack (Herbert) Summers (admin. contracts supervisor).
(2 docs)
DM1294/4/5: Penguin overseas
Research material collected by Linda Lloyd Jones relating to Penguin’s operations in Australia,
Canada, India, Japan, New Zealand and the United States of America for the purposes of the
‘Penguin Fifty Years’ exhibition in 1985, with additional material added in 1991.
DM1294/4/5/1 Penguin in Australia:
1946-1991
DM1294/4/5/1/1 - Photocopies of minutes of meetings of directors of
Penguin Books Proprietary Limited (later Penguin Books Australia
Limited) held the 8 August 1946, 20 March 1953, 9 April 1953, 25
June 1953, 30 December 1953, 10 June 1954, 16 December 1955, 23
March 1956, 5 April 1968, 11 February 1971, 31 July 1971, 21 March
1972, 10 August 1972, 16 November 1973, 20 May 1976.
DM1294/4/5/1/2 – Photocopies of a certificate of incorporation of
Penguin Books Ltd., 2 August 1946; a certificate certifying that
Penguin Books Ltd is now a proprietary company, 7 August 1946;
and a certificate of incorporation on the change of the name of
Penguin Books Ltd. (formerly successively called Penguin Books Ltd
and Penguin Books Proprietary Ltd) to Penguin Books Australia Ltd.,
6 June 1966.
DM1294/4/5/1/3 – Letter from Bob Maynard (Penguin Books Pty.
Ltd., Australia) to Eunice Frost (Penguin Books Ltd.), n.d. [late
1940s]. Maynard sends Frost information about his own early life,
joining Penguin Books in 1935, moving to Melbourne in 1946, the
growth of Penguin Books in Australia and the Hiroshima Food for
Britain fund [profits from the sale of John Hersey’s Hiroshima].
Includes a small photograph of Bob Maynard.
DM1294/4/5/1/4 – Penguin memorandum from Harry Paroissien to
DM1294/4
10
Eunice Frost with an analysis of all Penguin shipments sent to Bob
Maynard in Australia from 8 October 1946 to 11 December 1947, and
a summary showing the number of copies of each series sent, 18
December 1947.
DM1294/4/5/1/5 – List complied by the Lothian Publishing Company
Pty. Ltd. of Penguin and Pelican titles published in Australia between
November 1940 and September 1946; complete list of all paperback
titles published or distributed by Penguin Books Australia Ltd.,
September 1984; complete list of all hardback titles published or
distributed by Penguin Books Australia Ltd., June 1984; photocopy of
a list of Australian Penguin Books (AU1-AU28) published between
March 1963 and July 1969; Penguin Books Australia Ltd. proposed
1985 programme.
DM1294/4/5/1/6 – Letter from Bob Maynard to Trevor Glover
(Penguin Books Australia Ltd.), 8 July 1984. Maynard sends Glover
notes on the early history of Penguin Books in Australia.
DM1294/4/5/1/7 – Letter from Trevor Glover (Penguin Books
Australia Ltd.) to Peter Mayer (Penguin Books Ltd.), 10 July 1984.
Glover sends Mayer photocopies of material relating to the early
history of Penguin Australia, including Polaroid photographs of the
original Penguin building in 1946, the foundation stone of the new
Penguin building in 1963, the plaque commemorating the opening of
the new Penguin building by Harold Holt in November 1964, and the
key presented to Holt on the occasion; photocopies of photographs
relating to the history of Penguin Australia; and a photocopy of a
section of Geoffrey Dutton’s book Snow on the Saltbush describing
the early days of Penguin publishing in Australia.
DM1294/4/5/1/8 – Letter from George Dale (Penguin Books
Australia Ltd.) to Jeremy Aynsley (Exhibition consultant, 50th
anniversary of Penguin), 7 September 1984. Concerning the
Australian list, the editorial/design management structure, size of
print run and the Australian market.
DM1294/4/5/1/9 – Letter from Trevor Glover (Penguin Books
Australia Ltd.) to Linda Lloyd Jones (Penguin Books Ltd.), 16
October 1984. Glover sends answers to the questionnaire on the
history of Penguin Australia, including annual profit and loss from
1966 to 1983 and a list of the best-selling Penguin titles in Australia
with the quantities sold.
DM1294/4/5/1/10 – Leaflet about the Talisman Fountain designed by
Ian Bow that stands outside the offices of Penguin Books Pty. Ltd.,
Ringwood, Victoria, Australia.
DM1294/4/5/1/11 – Letter from Chris Barling to Steve [Hare], 17
May 1991. Barling explains why certain Penguin books appeared in
Australian editions only and the number system used and gives a list
of books published by Penguin Books Australia that were only issued
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in Australia (nos.70029-70099). Also mentions the Practical Puffins
series developed in Australia by Diana Gribble and Hilary McPhee.
With a copy of an article entitled ‘Australian Reprints of Penguins
1940-1946’.
DM1294/4/5/2 Penguin in Canada:
1983
Photocopy of an article by Ralph Gustafson, ‘The Story of the
Penguin’, Canadian Poetry, no.12, Spring/Summer 1983.
Concerning The Penguin Book of Canadian Verse.
DM1294/4/5/3 Penguin in India:
1982-1986
DM1294/4/5/3/1 – Brochure for the India in Penguins, 5th World
Book Fair, New Delhi, 5-15 February 1982. Includes a list of
available titles.
DM1294/4/5/3/2 – article: Monojit Lahiri, ‘Book Covers: A Visual
Vista’, Surya India, 16-31 March 1983.
DM1294/4/5/3/3 – photocopy of an article: Luis S.R. Vas and
Rafique Bagdadi, ‘How Lolita came in … and Lady Chatterley got
left behind’, n.d.
DM1294/4/5/3/4 – draft copy of Zamir Ansari’s article ’50 Years of
Penguin Books – The Indian Connection’. With a list of books by
Indian authors in Penguin and a list of Penguin books on India.
DM1294/4/5/3/5 – ‘Penguin ‘84’ international stock list, including
India in Penguins, 1984.
DM1294/4/5/3/6 – Letter from Zamir Ansari (Penguin Overseas Ltd.,
New Delhi) to Len Ainsworth, 6 July 1984. Ansari answers some of
Linda Lloyd Jones’s questions about the past and current position of
Penguin books in India. Encloses a copy of a letter from Morarji
Desai to Sir Allen Lane concerning customs clearance for Shri V.S.
Naipual’s An Area of Darkness, 27 April 1968.
DM1294/4/5/3/7 – Letter from D. Mehra (Rupa & Co., Calcutta) to
Zamir Ansari (Penguin Overseas Ltd., New Delhi), 22 October 1984.
Mehra sends a copy of his article entitled ‘Penguins and Rupa’. With
a leaflet on ‘The House of Rupa’.
DM1294/4/5/3/8 – Letter from D. Mehra (Rupa & Co., Calcutta) to
Linda Lloyd Jones (Penguin Books Ltd.), 18 March 1985. Mehra
thanks Jones for the diary, adding that she does not need to return the
negatives of the photographs [of Krishna Menon].
DM1294/4/5/3/9 – ‘Rupa Book News’, vol.9, no.7, February 1986.
Celebrating Rupa’s fifty years in the book trade.
DM1294/4/5/3/10 – Two copies of the signature of D. Mehra of Rupa
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& Co., n.d.
DM1294/4/5/3/11 – Photocopy of Vengalil Krishnan Krishna
Menon’s entry in Who Was Who, 1971-1980.
DM1294/4/5/4 Penguin in Japan:
1937-1966
DM1294/4/5/4/1 – Photocopy of an advertisement announcing the
arrival of the first Pelican Books in Japan, Gakuto [Maruzen’s house
journal], 1937.
DM1294/4/5/4/2 – Photocopy of an article about Penguin’s 25th
birthday that appeared in the Japanese edition of The Bookseller,
[1950].
DM1294/4/5/4/3 – Photocopy of the text of an address given at the
Penguin International Sales Conference by T. Sakai of British Books
(Lendrum’s Agency) representing Longmans and Penguins in Japan,
May 1966. Concerning selling Penguin books in Japan.
DM1294/4/5/5 Penguin in New Zealand:
1955-1984
DM1294/4/5/5/1 – Photocopy of the minutes of the first meeting of
directors of Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd., 28 February 1955.
DM1294/5/5/2 – Photocopy of a draft list of contents for Celebration:
an Anthology of New Zealand Writing from Penguin New Writing
series, [published by Penguin in 1984].
DM1294/5/5/3 – Chronology of the history of Penguin in New
Zealand from 1942 to 1984.
DM1294/5/5/4 – Photocopy of an extract from New Zealand
Publishing News announcing record sales by Penguin Books (NZ) of
Audrey Eyton’s F-Plan Diet, with 75,000 copies sold in 47 days: the
equivalent of 1 copy sold for every 42 people in the country.
DM1294/5/5/5 – Photocopies of two letters from Graham Beattie
(Penguin Books NZ Ltd.) to Penguin Books, 26 June and 7 December
1984. Concerning Penguin’s history in New Zealand.
DM1294/4/5/6 Penguin in the USA:
1945-1985
DM1294/4/5/6/1 – Photocopy of ‘A complete list of the publications
of Penguin Books’, 1945. Includes American publications of Penguin
Books, Penguin Specials and Fighting Forces – Penguin Specials.
DM1294/4/5/6/2 – Advertisement for ‘Penguins in America’ [layout
by Hans Schmoller] to celebrate ten years of Penguin Books in
America, 1959.
DM1294/4/5/6/3 – Photocopy of a press release announcing that
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Penguin Books, Inc., the American publishing house specialising in
inexpensive paperbound edition, and Penguin Books Limited of
London have agreed to terminate their association, 29 January 1948.
Reasons cited include that American Penguin’s have ‘attractively
designed four-colour covers’ which have been competing in the
export markets with the British Penguins ‘which employs an austere
typographical book cover’. The American house will change its
corporate name from 31 January 1948 to The New American Library
of World Literature, Inc.
DM1294/4/5/6/4 – Photocopy of a report to the directors of Penguin
Books Ltd., 31 March 1961. The report was carried out by H.F.
Paroissien at the request of the Chairman to make recommendations
for the future management of Penguin Books Inc., together with a
separate report on his considerations of the future development of the
American Company and the American market.
DM1294/4/5/6/5 – Letter from Charles J. Froehlich, jr, (certified
public accountant, Baltimore) to Sir Allen Lane, 18 September 1967.
Froehlich suggests that Harry Paroissien, rather than Chris Dolley,
takes over as managing director of the Penguin Group, and that all
future managing directors of the Penguin Group came through the US
company. He also mentions the proposed change in trading terms
between the Parent company and the US Subsidiary.
DM1294/4/5/6/6 – Photocopy of a press release announcing changes
at Viking Penguin, 6 January 1984.
DM1294/4/5/6/7 – Correspondence between Ian Ballantine (Bantam
Books, Inc., New York) and Linda Lloyd Jones (50th Anniversary
Coordinator, Penguin Books), 28 September-1 December 1984.
Concerning Ballantine’s memories of working at Penguin Books Inc.
DM1294/4/5/6/8 – Photocopies of press cuttings about Penguin
Books in America, 1937-1985.
DM1294/4/5/6/9 – Draft extract [from Kurt Enoch’s ‘The paperbound book: twentieth century publishing phenomenon’?], n.d.
[c.1954].
DM1294/4/5/6/10 – Photocopy of ‘Good reading for the millions: a
brief history of Signet and Mentor Imprints 1948-1958’, n.d. [c.1958].
DM1294/4/5/6/11 – Photocopies of extracts from Victor Weybright’s
The Making of a Publisher (1968).
DM1294/4/5/6/12 – Photocopy of an article entitled ‘Hard or soft
covers? Paperback publishers discuss trends at S.Y.P. meeting’, The
Bookseller, 7 April 1973.
DM1294/4/5/6/13 – Photocopy of an extract from Piet Schreuder’s
The Book of Paperbacks (1981).
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DM1294/4/5/6/14 – Photocopy of a material relating to the
termination of association between Penguin Books Ltd. and Penguin
Books Inc., New York, 31 October 1947.
DM1294/4/6: Penguin Group companies
Research material collected by Linda Lloyd Jones relating to Penguin Group Companies, Pearson
and Michael Joseph Ltd., for the purposes of the ‘Penguin Fifty Years’ exhibition in 1985, with
additional material added at a later date.
DM1294/4/6/1 Michael Joseph Ltd.:
1986
At the Sign of the Mermaid: Fifty Years of Michael Joseph (Michael
Joseph Ltd., 1986). Preface by Alan Brooke (managing director of
Michael Joseph) and essays by Richard Joseph, Sir Robert Lusty,
Charles Pick, Michael Joseph, H.E. Bates, Dick Douglas-Boyd, Max
Hastings, Laurie Edmonds, Karen Geary and Alan Brooke.
DM1294/4/6/2 Pearson Longman Ltd./S. Pearson & Son plc./Pearson plc.:
1976-1988
DM1294/4/6/2/1 – Photocopy of extracts from the annual report and
accounts of Pearson Longman Ltd., 1976.
DM1294/4/6/2/2 – Report and accounts of Pearson Longman, 1981.
DM1294/4/6/2/3 – Report and accounts of S. Pearson & Son plc.,
1981.
DM1294/4/6/2/4 - Report and accounts of S. Pearson & Son plc.,
1982.
DM1294/4/6/2/5 – Annual Report of Pearson plc., 1984.
DM1294/4/6/2/6 - Annual Report of Pearson plc., 1985.
DM1294/4/6/2/7 – Pearson plc.’s report to employees, n.d. [c.1988].
DM1294/4/6/2/8 – press cuttings about Pearson, 1984-1988.
DM1294/4/6/3 Penguin Group:
1982-c.1988
DM1294/4/6/3/1 – Penguin Books Information Brochure, n.d.
[c.1982]. Covers the history of Penguin, 1981 results,
Group/Company organisation, the book from manuscript to
production, sales and marketing function, and warehouse and
distribution services.
DM1294/4/6/3/2 – Penguin Books report to the book trade, 1982.
DM1294/4/6/3/3 –Penguin UK Group report, 1984.
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DM1294/4/6/3/4 – Penguin Group Company Structures, n.d. [post1988].
DM1294/4/6/3/5 – Typescript of a speech given by Peter Mayer in
Barcelona on 6 July 1994 on the occasion of Tusquet’s 25th birthday.
Mayer reviews his own publishing career, beginning with the Orion
Press before moving to Avon Books, starting The Overlook Press,
joining Simon & Schuster to run Pocket Books, before moving to
Penguin in 1978 and his subsequent efforts to revitalise the company.
DM1294/4/7: Penguin books as design features
DM1294/4/7/1 Photocopies of articles and advertisements from the Ideal Home
magazine featuring Penguin books as design features, 1961-1975.
(22 docs)
1961-1975
DM1294/4/7/2 Photocopies of pages from the Habitat catalogue featuring Penguin
books as design features in the home, 1971-1985.
(15 docs)
1971-1985
DM1294/4/8: ‘How Penguin Succeeded’ by Peter Danckwerts
DM1294/4/8
‘How Penguin Succeeded’ by Peter Danckwerts. Dissertation
submitted for a diploma in Book Publishing to Oxford Polytechnic on
29 April 1977.
1977
DM1294/4/9: ‘The Penguin Survival Kit’ by Laurie Lee
DM1294/4/9
Typescript of an article by Laurie Lee to celebrate Penguin’s fiftieth
anniversary. Mentions Lee’s memories of the arrival of Penguin
books in the 1930s, John Lehmann’s Penguin New Writing, and
books for the forces. The article was published as ‘The Penguin
Survival Kit’ in Bookcase: The W.H. Smith Book Review, no.11
[1985].
1985
Copy of Bookcase: The W.H. Smith Book Review, no.11 [1985].
Including articles by Christopher Awdry about the Thomas the Tank
Engine series, Mel Calman on ‘Drawing Conclusions’, Laurie Lee’s
‘The Penguin Survival Kit’, Stephen Spender on ‘Thoughts on being
called Poet’, Robert Latham on ‘The Essential Pepys’ and Shirley
Hughes on ‘Getting into the picture’.
Four letters from Laurie Lee to Sarah Brooks, 28 February-10 June
1985. Lee agrees to do the book signing at Menzies in Bath and at
the Bristol Claude Gill, and also to the Cheltenham reading. Sends
the draft of his article about ‘the patter of tiny Penguins’.
(6 docs)
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DM1294/4/10: Collets bookshop
DM1294/4/10
Congratulations card from the staff at Collets bookshop to Penguin
Books on their 50th anniversary. The hand drawn card features
penguins painting ’50 Years’ onto the front of Collets bookshop.
1985
DM1294/4/11: Photographs of Penguin 50th anniversary events and logo
DM1294/4/11/1 Four black and white photographs of Penguin 50th anniversary
events, 1985:
1985
DM1294/4/11/1/1 – Peter Mayer pulling along three toy penguins at
Frankfurt in November 1985.
DM1294/4/11/1/2 – Hans Schmoller at a reception, [1985].
DM1294/4/11/1/3 – Peter Mayer at the Penguin 50th anniversary
exhibition, [1985].
DM1294/4/11/1/4 – Peter Mayer at the unveiling of a plaque at Vigo
Street, London, [1985].
DM1294/4/11/2 Four colour photographs of Penguin 50th anniversary logos and
Penguin 50th anniversary headed writing paper, 1985.
1985
DM1294/4/12: Penguin 50th anniversary events and exhibitions
DM1294/4/12/1 File of material concerning arrangements and plans for events to
celebrate Penguin’s 50th anniversary in 1985. Includes:
1985
Photocopy of a preliminary report by Linda Lloyd Jones for Peter
Mayer on plans for Penguin’s fiftieth anniversary, 21 September
1983.
Anniversaries Activities: a discussion document from Linda Lloyd
Jones, 29 February 1984.
Preliminary plans for Penguin’s 50th anniversary activities, 24 April
1984.
Provisional calendars of anniversary events.
Draft press release.
Loan form.
Press pack.
Details of anniversary events throughout the Penguin Companies in
the UK and overseas.
(16 docs)
DM1294/4/12/2 File of material concerning British events to celebrate Penguin’s 50th
anniversary. Includes
1985
‘Penguin Books 1935-1985: A literary and social exploration’:
catalogue of an exhibition held at Monmouth School during June and
July 1985.
Invitation from the Directors of the Clarendon Gallery and Penguin
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Books to attend the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to Sir
Allen Lane to mark Penguin’s 50th anniversary at 8 Vigo Street,
London on 5 September 1985.
Press release announcing an exhibition of Penguin illustrators at the
Clarendon Gallery in October 1985.
Invitation from Peter Mayer and the Director of Penguin Books to
attend a reception at the Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, London on
19 September 1985 to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary and
to preview the exhibition ‘Fifty Penguin Years’.
Invitation from the Directors of Penguin Books and the ViceChancellor of the University of Bristol to attend a reception to mark
the deposit of Penguin’s editorial archive 1935-1960 in the
University Library on 5 November [1985].
‘Anniversary News’ headed notepaper.
List of 1985 backlist promotions for representatives.
Press pack.
(9 docs)
DM1294/4/12/3 File of material relating to an exhibition of Penguin Books held at
Edinburgh University Library, 27 November 1985-30 June 1986.
Includes:
1985
Flyers, eight black and white photographs of the exhibition, and a
signed copy of ‘A Sort of Dignified Flippancy’ by Sally Wood.
(13 docs)
DM1294/4/12/4 File of material relating to the exhibition ‘Fifty Penguin Years’ held
in Birmingham Central Library, 26 April-8 June 1986. Includes:
1986
Invitation, flyer, 3 black and white photographs of Birmingham
Central Library, entry form for the BRMB/Penguin Books short
story competition, press releases, press cuttings and correspondence
concerning arrangements for the exhibition and for an authors’
event, including letters of thanks after the event from Laurie Lee and
Wendy Perriam.
(73 docs)
DM1294/4/12/5 File of material outlining the highlights of the Penguin Group’s 50th
anniversary events in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
and the USA. File prepared by Linda Lloyd Jones for Peter Mayer’s
trip to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, 21 June 1985.
1985
DM1294/4/12/6 File of material relating to Penguin 50th anniversary events overseas.
Includes:
1985-1986
DM1294/4/12/6/1 - Brochure produced by Penguin South Africa,
sent with the compliments of John A. Allen, 1985.
DM1294/4/12/6/2 – Invitation from Peter Mayer and the Directors of
Penguin Books to attend a reception for Penguin agents around the
world at the Hessischer Hof Hotel, Frankfurt on 8 October 1985.
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DM1294/4/12/6/3 – Correspondence between Miss R. Zaugg,
Librairie Payot, Zurich and Linda Lloyd Jones, 8-29 August 1986.
Miss Zaugg sends two colour photographs of the Penguin Books
window display at the Librairie Payot in Zurich.
DM1294/4/12/6/4 – Letter from David Lange, Prime Minister of
New Zealand, to Peter Mayer, 12 August 1985. Lange has ‘a
continued affection for Penguin’ and enjoyed taking part in
Penguin’s 50th anniversary events in New Zealand.
DM1294/4/12/6/5 – Photocopies of the catalogue covers of two 50th
anniversary exhibitions of Penguin books organised by Hemus, Sofia
in December 1985, and by Zahranicni Literatura, Prague in
November 1985.
DM1294/4/12/6/6 – Flyer advertising Penguin Books in Brazil.
DM1294/4/12/6/7 – Press pack for the 50th anniversary of Penguin
Books in the USA. Includes a badge, poster, press releases, and a
typescript of an interview with Alan Kellock (President and
Publisher of Penguin Books, USA). With correspondence between
Maureen Donnelly (Publicity Manager, Penguin Books, USA) and
Linda Lloyd Jones, 20 June-31 October 1985, with two colour
photographs of the exterior of the 13 Penguin Bookstore’s Bonanza
Inn Books on Market Street, San Francisco, and of Ariel Booksellers
Inc., New Paltz, New York window display. Donnelly adds that
Penguin’s 50th anniversary has been an ‘overwhelming success’ and
that Penguin Books now has 13 independent stores which carry the
entire Penguin line.
DM1294/4/13: Penguin 50th anniversary press coverage
DM1294/4/13/1 Press cuttings, January 1984-April 1986.
1984-1986
DM1294/4/13/2 Penguin publicity roundups, March-October 1985.
(14 docs)
1985
DM1294/4/13/3 File of photocopies of selected press coverage for Penguin’s 50th
anniversary from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia
and India.
1985
DM1294/4/13/4 Press cuttings relating to Penguin’s 50th anniversary in New Zealand, 1985
Canada, Viking USA, India, Australia, miscellaneous foreign.
DM1294/4/14: Christmas cards from Penguin Books Ltd.
DM1294/4/14/1 Christmas card featuring roundels taken from the nine volumes of
‘The Buildings of England’ series, n.d. [c.1953].
n.d. [c.1953]
DM1294/4/14/2 Christmas card featuring a seated angel forming part of the lectern at
n.d. [c.1954]
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All Saints church, Landbeach, taken from Cambridge in The
Buildings of England series, n.d. [c.1954].
DM1294/4/14/3 Christmas card featuring photographs of bagpipers at Beverley
Minster from the volume in The Pelican History of Art Sculpture in
Britain: The Middle Ages by Lawrence Stone, 1956. Photographer:
F.H. Crossley.
1956
DM1294/4/14/4 Christmas card featuring a photograph of the fan vault of Hartwell
church, Buckinghamshire, taken from Buckinghamshire in The
Buildings of England series, n.d. [c.1959].
n.d. [c.1959]
DM1294/4/14/5 Christmas card featuring a photograph of the partly-built new
warehouse at Penguin’s Harmondsworth site, onto which has been
sketched cartoon penguins at work. Inside the card are nine cartoon
penguins holding up a ‘Greetings’ sign, n.d. [c.1967].
n.d. [c.1967]
Recatalogued by Rachel Hassall
30 September 2009
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