Jean-Galli De Bibiena - Amorous Philandre
(Original Title: The Fairy Doll)
Avon Books 171, 1948
Cover Artist: © Barry Stephens... probably Bill Randall
Émile Zola - For a Night of Love
Avon Comics No #, 1951
Cover Artist: © Barry Stephens... probably Bill Randall
Also contains, the Miller's Daughter, The Desperate Woman of Paris and The Loves for Felice, all after stories by Zola.
Tags: avon books avon comics twin cover bill randall william randall comic book
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A Killer Is Loose Among Us - Avon 278, 1950
The Saint and the Ace of Knaves - Avon 663, 1955
Cover Artist: unknown
Avon buttoned up her blouse in 1955.
In 1952, the House Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials, commonly known as the Gathings Committee, published its report on pornography in the publishing industry with paperback books being one of its targets.
Although it lacked teeth and was soon ridiculed the Report did result in much self-censorship in the paperback industry between 1952 and 1955. The amount of visible flesh decreased and even cover blurbs became somewhat less suggestive.
Tags: avon books unknown artist gathings committee self-censorship
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The Avon Annual - 11 Great Modern Stories
Avon Annual Books No# 4, 1947
Cover design uncredited
Samuel Elkin - The Ballplayer
Robert Whitehand - American Nocturne
S.J. Perelman - Down with the Restoration
Ernest Hemingway - Big Two-Hearted River: Part I
Irwin Shaw - Walk Along the Charles River
Pearl S. Buck - The Old Mother
Walter D. Edmonds - At Schoharie Crossing
Dorothy Parker - Glory in the Daytime
Sholom Aleichem - Hodel
Rhys Davies - The Benefit Concert
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Diamond as Big as the Ritz
Tags: avon vintage digest anthology
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Maurice Dekobra - Bedroom Eyes
Avon Bedside Novels 4, 1951
Cover Artist: Peter Driben
"A ladies man... a naughty wife... a wicked mistress"
Maurice Dekobra was a pseudonym of Maurice Tessier
Tags: avon vintage paperback digest pulp top hat
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Sinclair Lewis - Elmer Gantry
Avon Books (No #) 1, 1941
Cover Artist: unknown
Not the 1st Avon printing as this edition is missing the "globe" endpapers.
Avon books and "Pocket-size":
"Shortly after their first releases hit the stands, Avon found itself embroiled in what turned out to be a lengthy lawsuit with Pocket Books. Avon was accused of having stolen Pocket Books' format and page-edge coloring ("stain"), as well as the term "Pocket-size book." On January 19, 1942, a judge ruled in Avon's favor, stating that it was improbable that any consumer would be confused by the appearance of an Avon Book and would buy it thinking that it was a Pocket Book. Pocket Books appealed this decision and, on November 2, 1942, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York ruled AGAINST Avon, finding them guilty of unfair competition because of their deliberate imitation of Pocket Books' style and format. The court decided that only Pocket Books would be allowed to sell paperbacks with a red stain and the word "pocket" on the cover, and issued an injunction to that effect. Avon immediately bought a different color ink for its page edges, made sure that the word "Avon" appeared clearly on every cover, and kept right on publishing. And in January of 1944 the Court of Appeals reversed the decision again: from that point on, it has been officially acceptable for any company to publish paperbacks using the Pocket Books format."
– Piet Screuders "Paperbacks U.S.A."
Tags: avon books vintage 40s paperback
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