Resources for Collectors:
Classifying the Various Pocket Series and Little Blue Book Wrappers

By Jason Ramsay-Brown

Wrapper Fronts: Named Design Styles

The following is a visual reference guide to the initial Named Design Styles for Pocket Series and Little Blue Book front wrappers, and was created during development of our Gallery of Haldeman-Julius Pocket Series and Little Blue Book Wrappers. The Gallery should now be considered authoritative, with what is below serving merely to illustrate the conclusions drawn while cultivating our classification system.

The representative wrappers were selected to demonstrate variations within the scope of the design style itself. Qualification as a Named Design Style was based on the methodology and criteria established on page one of Classifying the Various Pocket Series and Little Blue Book Wrappers, so if you have not already read that, it's highly recommended.

Despite how it may appear, the Named Design Styles below are not presented in strict chronological order. Precise dating of any particular booklet often requires information from title pages, back wrappers, etc. to be accurate. Visitors attempting to date a particular booklet are well advised to consult "Dating The Appeal's Pocket Series and People's Pocket Series" and/or "Dating Little Blue Books" by Jake Gibbs. Additional information of value might also be found in our Haldeman-Julius Series Identification Guide, Little Blue Book Variations Guide or Database of Haldeman-Julius Pocket Series and Little Blue Book Titles.

Framed

Believed to be the earliest design style for Haldeman-Julius pocket books, and exclusive to The Appeal's Pocket Series.

The Appeal's Pocket Series - Framed

The Appeal's Pocket Series - Framed

The Appeal's Pocket Series - Framed

Boxed

Strikingly similar to the Framed style, except that the decorative outline surrounding the wrapper content has been simplified.

People's Pocket Series - Boxed

People's Pocket Series - Boxed

People's Pocket Series - Boxed

Boxed Scribe

An evolution of the Boxed style which introduces the "Scribe" Brand Graphic, an icon appropriated from "The People's Books" hardcover series, released by UK publisher T.C. & E.C. Jack prior to WWI.

People's Pocket Series - Boxed Scribe

People's Pocket Series - Boxed Scribe

People's Pocket Series - Boxed Scribe

Scribe

Virtually identical to the Boxed Scribe design style, save that the boxing decoration has been removed.

People's Pocket Series - Scribe

People's Pocket Series - Scribe

People's Pocket Series - Scribe

Scribe with Editor

Virtually identical to the Scribe design style, save for one very meaningful difference: these were the first wrappers to bear the Haldeman-Julius Series Editor Statement. In addition, as pointed out by researcher Jake Gibbs, "Sometimes 2 books with just that small difference in wrapper contain entirely different editions."

People's Pocket Series - Scribe with Editor

People's Pocket Series - Scribe with Editor

People's Pocket Series - Scribe with Editor

Scribe Standard

A noteworthy evolution in wrapper design in that the Series Editor Statement was moved underneath the Series Title and Book Number. This convention would survive the retirement of the Scribe graphic (see below) and continue to be used across several series.

People's Pocket Series - Scribe Standard

People's Pocket Series - Scribe Standard

People's Pocket Series - Scribe Standard

Standard

An extremely important wrapper design style that survived from 1922 to 1924, and was utilized on wrappers for the People's Pocket Series, Appeal Pocket Series, Ten Cent Pocket Series, Five Cent Pocket Series, Pocket Series and as the inaugural wrapper for the Little Blue Books.

People's Pocket Series - Standard

Appeal Pocket Series - Standard

Ten Cent Pocket Series - Standard

Five Cent Pocket Series - Standard

Pocket Series - Standard

Little Blue Book - Standard

Conventional

Absolutely the most prolific wrapper design over the five decades that these little booklets were published. This design style is essentially the "canonical" wrapper style, and served as the foundation for dozens of variant wrapper designs that would emerge over the decades following its introduction.

Little Blue Book - Conventional

Little Blue Book - Conventional

Little Blue Book - Conventional

HJP Monogram

A significant variation on the Conventional design style which incorporates both a unique Brand Graphic and a unique presentation style for the Publisher's Stamp. Some question exists as to whether wrappers with a significantly enlarged Book Title might represent a different wrapper style, but not enough examples have been reviewed to decide.

Little Blue Book - HJP Monogram

Little Blue Book - HJP Monogram

Little Blue Book - HJP Monogram

Automatic Libraries

Booklets bearing this wrapper were distributed exclusively via the Little Blue Book Vendor machines owned and operated by Automatic Libraries, a division of O. D. Jennings & Company of Chicago, Illinois. These machines were operated from 1939 to 1940 and offered a choice of 18 titles per unit.

Little Blue Book - Automatic Libraries

Little Blue Book - Automatic Libraries

Little Blue Book - Automatic Libraries

How-To

Essentially a Conventional wrapper design but with one very meaningful difference: inclusion of "The How-To Series" Subseries Declaration and associated subseries number.

Little Blue Book - How-To

Little Blue Book - How-To

Little Blue Book - How-To

Self Educator

Essentially a Conventional wrapper design but with one very meaningful difference: inclusion of the "Self Educator" Subseries Declaration and associated subseries number.

Little Blue Book - Self Educator

Little Blue Book - Self Educator

Little Blue Book - Self Educator

Self-Help

Highly distinctive wrapper style featuring a uniquely styled Subseries Declaration and devoid of virtually all common Major and Minor Elements, save for Book Title. The three line Brand Graphic, located on the left hand side of the wrap, distinguishes it from other wrappers used in the Self-Help Library.

Little Blue Book - Self-Help

Little Blue Book - Self-Help

Little Blue Book - Self-Help

Self-Help Flame

Identical to the Self-Help design style, save that a Brand Graphic of an eternal flame is used instead of the three line motif.

Little Blue Book - Self-Help Flame

Little Blue Book - Self-Help Flame

Little Blue Book - Self-Help Flame

Knowledge of Life

This wrapper design style was used exclusively for Knowledge of Life Series booklets, as is evidenced by the Subseries Declaration and associated background illustration.

Little Blue Book - Knowledge of Life

Little Blue Book - Knowledge of Life

Little Blue Book - Knowledge of Life

Illustrated

This wrapper style can be distinguished from other illustrated wrappers by the absence of both a Book Number and Attribution Statement. Attribution Statements are absent even when the booklet contains work by a single author.

Little Blue Book - Illustrated

Little Blue Book - Illustrated

Little Blue Book - Illustrated

Little Blue Book - Illustrated

Little Blue Book - Illustrated

Little Blue Book - Illustrated

Illustrated & Attributed

Very similar to the Illustrated design style except that these wrappers support an Attribution Statement, regardless of whether booklet contents were written by one or multiple authors.

Little Blue Book - Illustrated & Attributed

Little Blue Book - Illustrated & Attributed

Little Blue Book - Illustrated & Attributed

Illustrated & Numbered

Like Illustrated wrappers (above) no Attribution Statement is present. However, a Book Number will be found located somewhere on the wrap. Placement of the number may be argued to have been informed by constraints imposed by the length and treatment of the Book Title, and/or the nature of the cover illustration, but as often as not it could also been seen as somewhat arbitrary.

Little Blue Book - Illustrated & Numbered

Little Blue Book - Illustrated & Numbered

Little Blue Book - Illustrated & Numbered

Little Blue Book - Illustrated & Numbered

Little Blue Book - Illustrated & Numbered

Little Blue Book - Illustrated & Numbered

Late Conventional

Identical to the Conventional wrapper design except that the Series Editor Statement has been removed. This change occurred shortly after Henry Haldeman assumed control of the publishing enterprise, following the death of his father, Emanuel Haldeman-Julius. It should be noted, however, that the Late Conventional design did not immediately and completely replace the Conventional design. Examples can be found of wrappers which continue to bear the Series Editor Statement, yet can be determined by other factors to have originated during Henry's time.

Little Blue Book - Late Conventional

Little Blue Book - Late Conventional

Little Blue Book - Late Conventional

University in Print

Essentially a Late Conventional wrapper, but now bearing the University in Print (UIP) Brand Graphic.

Little Blue Book - University in Print

Little Blue Book - University in Print

Little Blue Book - University in Print

Photographic

Produced roughly around the same time as Illustrated wrappers, this wrapper style similarly omits any Attribution Statement, even when the contained work is by a single author. However, with Photographic wrappers we see a return to presenting the Series Declaration and Book Number in the style established by the Conventional wrapper design.

Little Blue Book - Photographic

Little Blue Book - Photographic

Photographic & Numbered

Like Photographic wrappers (above) no Attribution Statement is present. However, a shortened Book Number will be found located somewhere on the wrap. Placement of the number may be argued to have been informed by constraints imposed by the length and treatment of the Book Title, and/or the nature of the cover photograph, but as often as not it could also been seen as somewhat arbitrary.

Little Blue Book - Photographic & Numbered

Little Blue Book - Photographic & Numbered

Little Blue Book - Photographic & Numbered

Encyclopedia of Humor

This wrapper design style was used exclusively for Encyclopedia of Humor booklets, as is evidenced by the Subseries Declaration at the bottom of the wrapper. While dozens of titles were marketed as part of this subseries, we have only been able to locate two that bear this wrapper style.

Little Blue Book - Encyclopedia of Humor

Little Blue Book - Encyclopedia of Humor

Large Title

While sharing much in common with the Late Conventional wrapper design, the sheer size of the Book Title deviates from established conventions grossly enough to warrant definition as its own wrapper style. Further, note that the wrapper omits any Attribution Statement, even when the contained work is by a single author.

Little Blue Book - Large Title

Little Blue Book - Large Title

Little Blue Book - Large Title

Property Of

This wrapper style was created in the 1960's in order to better market select titles to students and schools. Some question exists as to whether wrappers where the Attribution Statement is larger than Book Title represent a different wrapper style, but not enough examples have been reviewed to decide. For similar reasons, no distinction is currently made between wrappers that present a single signature line versus those with two. Also note that the Series Editor Statement may or may not be present.

Little Blue Book - Property Of

Little Blue Book - Property Of

Little Blue Book - Property Of

Next: Candidate Design Styles

Haldeman-Julius : Pocket Series and the Little Blue Books is for collectors of Little Blue Books, by collectors of Little Blue Books