Books

published by

Valentine & Sons Ltd

Photos, Postcards, Books

As well as selling photographs and postcards, Valentine & Sons Ltd published a range of small books of their views.

They also, published other books,  many with illustrations for children, but no photographs.

These are the books  that I have been told about so far. They are in three tables below:

1. Books of Photos of Scotland

-  Photographic View Albums

-  Calotype View Books

-  Shire Series

-  Other Books

2. Children's Books

-  Toy Books

-  Chummy

-  Do You Know?

-  Golden Thoughts

-  I Don't Know Which

-  Toy Dolly

-  Valtay Books

-  Other

The numbers suggest that these may also
be part of the Chummy Books series

3.  English, Scottish, Welsh and  Irish Books

-  Gem Selection (Ireland)

-  Rose Series

-  Other Books

Title

Publ.

1.

Books of Photos of Scotland

Photographic View Albums

Photographic view album of Alva and district

1890

Photographic view album of Falkland and district

1910

Photographic view album of Girvan

1900

Photographic view album of Gourock and district

1900

Photographic view album of West Kilbride and district

1895

Views of the Trossachs and Loch Lomond
(Valentine Series)

?

Calotype View Books

Edinburgh   (16 views 6ins x 4ins, hard red cover 8ins x 6ins)

©    ©

'Shire Series'

Picturesque Forfarshire  -  32 Photogravures + county map

?

Picturesque Perthshire  -  40 Photogravures + county map

?

Other Books

Abbotsford  12 photos for your album

1900

The Aberdeen Jew (Allan Junior)

Illustrated by Gregor McGregor

36 pages.  (Includes jokes, some now not 'PC')

July 1927?

Priv (Lon

Aberdeen Again (Allan Junior) -  compiler of
Canny Tales from Aberdeen , The Aberdeen Jew, etc., etc.

36 pages, brown cover with gold leaf

Illustrations by D C Eyles [undated, but appear to have been done in 1928  -  Marc McNulty:  March 15, 2007]

?

Priv (NB, Can)

Priv (BC, Can)

Burns - in Scottish Scene & Song  (Allan Junior)

The owner of this book writes:

"This book is an early type of paperback, published in 1925, quite good quality with brown card covers and well printed and published

It is a collection of scenes, probably taken from the Valentine postcard catalogue, of locations which are closely associated with Burns, particularly where mentioned in his prose.

The scenes/photographs are produced in sepia and all in all it is a delightful little book.

I cannot find reference to it anywhere and wonder if you or your colleagues can throw any light on its reception or otherwise by the world at large.  I shall welcome any comments."

1925

Canny Tales about Ministers and Elders  (Allan Junior)

?

Priv (BC, Can)

Canny Tales fae Aberdeen  (Allan Junior)

(i) [23rd edition] - jokes & humorous stories

(ii) [13th edition]

(iii) Front cover embossed with gold writing

(i) 1930
(ii) May 1926

Mair Canny Tales fae Aberdeen  (Allan Junior)

Front cover embossed with gold writing

?

Priv (Dum)
Priv (BC, Can)

Dundee 1947
Presented by Valentine & Sons Ltd to members of the British Association as a souvenir of their visit to Dundee.

1947

Lancashire and Lakeland

©     ©

   ©      ©

no date

Magic West:  Highlands & Islands of Western Scotland
36camera studies in sepia tone reproduced from exclusive copyright negatives.

1930

My Best Scotch Stories  (Sir Harry Lauder)

?

Priv (BC, Can)

Photographic views of Mauchline

1880

Photographs of views of Scotland and Scottish People

1890

Photographs, Scottish scenery

1870

Photographic view album of Inverkeithing and North Queensferry

c.1900

Scotland;  Picturesque and Romantic

©

©     ©

no date

but I've seen another copy dated 1934

Stories frae Aberdeen  (Peter Esslemont)

?

Priv (BC, Can)

Stories told by Sir James Taggart

?

Priv (BC, Can)

This England
A book, 18cm x 12 cm, in colour, described as by 'Alan Junior'.

?

'Shire Series'

Picturesque Forfarshire  -  32 Photogravures + county map

?

Picturesque Perthshire  -  40 Photogravures + county map

?

2.

Children's Books

'Book Toys'

The Story of the Railway Engine

The owner of this book tells me:

- This book measures 13 ins x 8 ins (so is much larger than most Valentine books for children).

- It is No B608 in the Valentine Book Toy series.

- The wheels spin, and on the front cover, there is also a connecting rod that moves.

Below are illustrations of the book's front and back cover and title page.

© ©

©

Nancy would like to know more about when this book was published and its value now.

The style of the 4-2-0 engine on this illustration suggests to me that the book might have been published around the 1920s.

There may well be another clue to the date published in the note on the title page:

'Valentine & Sons, Ltd
Dundee & London
Branches - Cape Town, Melbourne, Toronto, etc.'

'Chummy'

The Chummy ABC  -  CB2/3

Thank you to Jane Sparham who writes:

"This book has a memorable entry for G:  'G is for gunner who brings down the Hun'.

At the back of the book is a poem, Jollyboy Jack.

It is a small pliable paper covered book.  There is no date of publication."

UPDATE:  Willie Thompson, Sunderland, Tyne & Weir, England has now  told me of some more entries from this book:

-  A is for Aeroplane

-  B is for Barrage Balloon

-  D is for Destroyer

-  H is for Home Guard with bayonet and gun

-  X is for eXpert

QUESTION:  Willie asks:  "Do you happen o know the full text?"  If you happen to know it, can you please email me, then I'll pass it on to Willie.  Thank you.

  -  Peter Stubbs:  January 21, 2010

The Chummy Book of Little Ships  -  CB2/7

1945

The Chummy Book of Fairy Stories  -  CB2/10

?

The Little ABC Book of Birds  -  CB3/19

1945

Mothers and Babies  (These were animals + birds ) - CB3/23

1943

The Story of Cyril the Squirrel  -  CB3/25

1943

The Story of the Brownie Family  -  CB3/27

1943

Our Wonderful Railways  -  CB3/28

1944

Billy and Betty  -  CB4/20

1944

Plain Sailing for Little Learners  -  CB4/31

?

The Chummy Animal Book  -  CB4/32

1945

The Chummy ??? Book  -  CB4/33

1945

The Happy Days Painting and Lettering Book  -  CB4/37

1945

Valentine chummy books  [Which ones?]

1943

A Trip to ABC Land  -   CB43 No photos.

?

Busybodies in Poems and Pictures   -  CB44.

a.1948

'Do You Know?'

"Valentine's Toy Books are children's Joy Books"

Motor Cars  -  B613

©	©
	©

Bryan Norfolk, who sent me images of the cover of this book and of two of the 24 cars that feature in the book (3 to a page) is keen to discover when this book was published.

Brian estimates c.1926/27.  One of the cars in the book is a Rolls Royce 'New Phantom' that was introduced in 1925.

Bryan is a collector of cigarette and trade cards that feature the Austin Seven motor car of the 1920s/30s.

c.1926/27?

+

Priv (Harp)

British Wild Birds  -  B616

?

British Wild Flowers  -  B614

©    ©

?

Wild Animals  -  B615

c.1920
(Diane Lawson)

'Golden Thoughts'

As Big Ben Strikes   (Allan Junior) -  GT 620

Golden Thoughts for the Silent Minute Fellowship   (Allan Junior) -  GT 18

Little Psalms of the Months (Margaret Kent)  -  GT 618       3.5ins x 5 ins

©     ©

My Garden and Other Verses (Allan Junior)  -  GT 6058     3.5ins x 5 ins

©    ©

Sweetheart o' Mine (Allan Junior) -  GT 610

Inscribed from the owner's mother by the owner's father:  December 1945.

Priv (London)

The owner of another copy of this book wrote that the book was sent to her grandfather by her grandmother.

 She believes this would have been around the time of their marriage in 1920.

Priv
(Birmingham)

Twenty-One To-day and other verses
 (Allan Junior, illustrated by Anne Rochester)  GT 602

©    ©

Verses by Allan Junior (Margaret Kent)   -  GT 4

©     ©

Thank you to George Smith, British Columbia, Canada who wrote:

"I wonder if Allan Junior is a nom de plume? -  A catchall term for someone editing a variety of contributors perhaps?

Your site has some reference to an 'Allan Junior', a painter"

George added:

"Looking at the cover brought to mind my first ventures into reading.  The style is reminiscent of books I read or had read  to me in the 1930s.

We could not afford the 1st editions, so this series might date from the 1920s."

George Smith: Aug 4+5, 2008

Verses to Mother (Margaret Kent)   -  GT 628
(H Trevelyan-Thomson (Illus. Anne Rochester)

©     ©

Wedding Day Salutations
 (Allan Junior, illustrated by Anne Rochester)  GT 613

©    ©

Welcome Little Stranger
 (Allan Junior, illustrated by Anne Rochester)  GT 621

©    ©

'I Don't Know Which'

Beauty and the Beast

Babes in the Wood
Published by Valentine & Sons, Dundee, London, Montreal.
The owner has asked who the author was, and what is the value of this book..

ALSO: "This is one of five 'book toys' that I acquired recently.  All the books are shaped around the design of their front cover.  This one is numbered B129 inside the front page.  These books  came from a lady who had them as a child in the 1920s, but I'm unsure if they were new at the time."

Jeremy Culpin, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire:  Feb 28, 2009

Baby Bunting

"This is one of five 'book toys' that I acquired recently.  All the books are shaped around the design of their front cover.  This one is numbered B111 inside the front page.  These books  came from a lady who had them as a child in the 1920s, but I'm unsure if they were new at the time."

Jeremy Culpin, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire:  Feb 28, 2009

Canny Tales from Aberdeen
 compiled by Allan Junior, Illustrated by Gregor McGregor.

Now You Tell One
stories of Irish wit and humour by George A Birmingham

The Cow

Dick Whittington

"This is one of five 'book toys' that I acquired recently.  All the books are shaped around the design of their front cover.  This one is numbered B129 inside the front page.  These books  came from a lady who had them as a child in the 1920s, but I'm unsure if they were new at the time."

Jeremy Culpin, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire:  Feb 28, 2009

The Doll's House

©   ©

"This is one of five 'book toys' that I acquired recently.  All the books are shaped around the design of their front cover.  This one is numbered B111 inside the front page.  These books  came from a lady who had them as a child in the 1920s, but I'm unsure if they were new at the time."

Jeremy Culpin, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire:  Feb 28, 2009

The Elephant

Hansel & Gretel

Jack the Giant Killer

The Horse

The Lucky White Rabbit

A book in the shape of a rabbit

Merry and Bight

"This is one of five 'book toys' that I acquired recently.  All the books are shaped around the design of their front cover.  This one is numbered B121 inside the front page.  These books  came from a lady who had them as a child in the 1920s, but I'm unsure if they were new at the time."

Jeremy Culpin, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire:  Feb 28, 2009

©     ©

Noah's Ark

Rock-a-Bye-Baby
Mabel Lucie Attwell,  No author,   A cut-out shaped book made of hard cardboard, approx 7-8 pages.

Sister Susie and the Twins
Mabel Lucie Attwell,  No author.  A cut-out shaped book made of hard cardboard with approx 7-8 pages.

Stories
told by Sir James Taggart

Taffy Tales from Walsh Wales
 compiled by C W Miles, Illustrated by Harry Low

The Tale of Little Priscillia Purr

The Tale of Peter Pusskin

The Tale of Tabby Twins

The Tale of the Naughty Kitty Cat  (illustrations by Louis Wain)

Please e-mail me if you have a copy of this book.  The owner of this  book hopes to repair it but needs to know what is written on the spine.

Thank you to Katharine who replied from Lytham St Annes, saying "I don’t have the title mentioned, but another in the series – The Tale of the Tabby Twins. In answer to your question, it is only the title that is written on the spine.

1924
or 1927

'Toys Dolly'

Children's Books

Black Sambo  -  B219 (British Patent #1131

Thank you to Yvonne Cain, now living in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia for telling me about many editions of Black Sambo' from other publishers, published at various dates from 1899 to 1971!

Yvonne added: "My son was given the book in 1973 and read it to his children and they loved it, but it's probable not the book to read nowadays.  This book was by Helen Bannerman."

'Valtay Books'

The numbers suggest that these may also be part of the Chummy Books series.

Valtay is presumably an abbreviation of Valentines on the River Tay

Ships Past and Present  -   CB4/30

a.1946?

The Happy Days Painting and Lettering Book  -  CB4/37

1945

My Favourite Farm Book   -  CB6/40

a.1947

Other Books

The Lady of the Lake

The owner of this book writes:

"Neither the cover, the spine nor the title page of the book list the author, but it is undoubtedly Sir Walter Scott's six cantos of poetry. 

There are twelve illustrations among the 192 pages  measuring 9 1/2 cm x 12 1/2 cm. 

The cover is a red, blue, gold and white plaid padded cloth that appears to have been very well preserved in a heavy clear cellophane wrap. 

The inscription inside the book reads that it was bought on Aug 17 ~25, at Lake Katrine, Scotland.

If you or your contacts know anything more about this book, would you please let me know?"

If you can provide any more information, please e-mail me.

  Thank you.  - Peter Stubbs  November 29, 2007

<1926

Merrie England in Verse and Pictures (Allan Junior)

©

?

The Romance of Mary Queen of Scots

Bob Street, Canada, wrote:

"I have a first edition of this book, with soft cover and various pictures in the book."

?

Scottish Wit & Humour - humorous short stories + poems

1908

The Aberdeen Jew (Allan Junior)
illustrations by Gregor McGregor, 36pp

1927

The Children's Own Hymn Book

©

July 1909

To Fairy Dell

?

3.

English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh Books

'Birthday Series'

Shakespeare Birthday Book

Subtitle:  The Poet's Homeland

Dave Shannon, Denia, Costa Blanca, Spain:  January 4+5, 2010

'Gem Selection'

Songs of Ireland

Illustrated from drawings by J F O'Hea and John Carey, with historical and bibliographical annotations by C F Conin.

Karen Cranford wrote:

"I'm interested in learning:

-  the history of the book

-  it's publishing date

-  if there are any other copies or reprints.

I'm also interested in restoring the book as it has family history behind it.

 Any information kindly welcomed." 

 Karen Cranford, Newfoundland, Canada, May 28, 2008

If you think you might be able to answer any of Karen's questions, please email me then I'll pass your message on to her.    Thank you.    - Peter Stubbs:  May 31, 2008.

'Rose Series'

Selections from Shakespeare (268 pages, 16 illustrations)

Janice Chambers, Derbyshire, England, added:

"My copy of this book is hand-painted on the front and the written inscription inside the first page says that it was given as a gift in 1920.

Do you happen to know whether these books are rare, whether there were many printed or how much it would have cost back then?"

<1925

+

Priv (Der)

I don't know how many copies of this book were printed.  I would not have expected it to be expensive when new.  I don't know its value now.

Perhaps somebody else might be able to answer these questions.  If you know any of the answers, please email me.  Thank you.

Peter Stubbs: March 13, 2010

©

Selections from the Ballads, Poems and Songs of Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate (with illustrations)

Sandra McGechan wrote:

"There is an inscription in pencil in this book, dating it to around 1914.  It would be great if you could tell me anything about the book.  Is it rare or were they quite common?"

Sandra McGechan, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England:  July 25, 2009

c.1914

Selections from Poems, Ballads and Sonnets of William Wordsworth (12 illustrations) Shakespeare

no date

Selections of Poems, Ballads and Sonnets from William Wordsworth, No2 (12 illustrations)

no date

Selections of Old English Ballads
(10 illustrations)

Kim Hesbon wrote:

"This book is 6cm x 9cm with a red tartan cover. My uncle sent it to my Mom from England in 1942."

Kim Hesbon:  Windsor, Ontario, Canada:
Message posted in EdinPhoto guestbook:  October 20, 2009

no date
<1943

Other Books

Views of London

(Photographic View Album)

Bill Summers, Wales,  tells me that one of his relatives has a copy of this book.  It has 23 views of London

?

95 Views of Abergele and North Wales

(Valentine & Sons)

1907

Killarney

1900

The Lady of the Lake

Ted Gilliver wrote:

"This is a little book 8.5cm x 6.0 cm, covered in McGregor tartan, with illustrations.  I have had it for many years." 

 Ted Gilliver, Christchurch, New Zealand:  April 4, 2009

Publ:

Valentine & Anderson Ltd, Edinburgh  (That's not a company that I know of)

Valentine & Sons Ltd., Dundee and London.

Notes

on the Books in the tables above

In the tables above, I have used these abbreviations:

St A = St Andrews University Library

NLS = National Library of Scotland

Priv = Private Collections

St Andrews University Library

St Andrews University LIbrary acquired the archive of Valentine monochrome post cards when Valentine ceased trading.  It also has a few etchings of St Andrews and a few books, all published by Valentine.

The library also has a number of books published by Valentine.  These are currently being catalogued by Pam Cranston.  Thank you Pam for sending me your provisional list of Valentine books catalogued to date.  I have included these books in the table below.

National Library of Scotland

I have checked the National Library of Scotland catalogue and found a number of books, published by Valentine & Sons Ltd.

Most but not all of these include photographs by Valentine & Sons.  I have included these books in the table below.

St A = St Andrews University Library

NLS = National Library of Scotland.
(a. = year that the book was acquired by NLS)

The NLS catalogue also includes:

-  a number of books by James Valentine, published 1870 to 1900

- postcards and photographs by Valentine & Sons Ltd and by James Valentine.

Private Collections

Britain

Buck = Buckinghamshire
Camb = Cambridgeshire
Ches = Cheshire
Der = Derbyshire
Dum = Dumfries
Ed = Edinburgh
E Sx = East Sussex
Gwe = Gwent
Harp = Harpenden, Hertfordshire
N Yks = North Yorkshire
Lon = London,
LSA = Lytham St Annes
Sun = Sunderland
S Wal = South Wales
W Mid = West Midlands
Warr = Warrington
Wrex = Wrexham
Yeo = Yeovil

USA

IN = Indiana
KS = Kansas
KY = Kentucky
NV = Nevada
NY = New York
OR = Oregon,
SC = South Carolina
TX = Texas

Other

Can = Canada

NZ = New Zealand

BC, Can = British Columbia, Canada
NB, Can = New Brunswick, Canada
NF, Can = Newfoundland, Canada,

S Aust = South Australia

Questions

These are some of the questions that
have been asked about Valentine Books

Question 1

Shakespeare

Thank you to Barbara Walkden, Toronto, Ontario, Canada for telling me about a book in Valentine's Rose LIbrary series, presented to her mother in 1924:

-  Selections from Shakespeare (268 pages, 16 illustrations).

This message from Barbara Walkden above is the first of many e-mails sent to me about books published by Valentine & Sons Ltd.   See the tables at the bottom of this page.

If you know of any more books published by Valentine, please e-mail me so that I can add the details to the tables below.

Question 2

If you have any knowledge of books published by Valentine, then you may be able to help answer this question below.

Mark Catley wrote:

"I have searched the Internet high and low to try and find out about a book I have called "To Fairy Dell" by Valentine and Sons of Dundee, but to very little success.

I have found out about a patent for the book but very little else. Ideally, I would love to find a list of books that Valentines wrote. 

This, I hope would put me a little nearer to hopefully finding out if the book has any value.

Can you help?"

Mark Catley:  February 9, 2006

If you can help answer the question above, please e-mail me.

Thank you.    - Peter Stubbs

Question 3

Maurean Jorgensen-Allan wrote:

Books Published by Valentine & Sons Ltd

"I am doing my family tree and the name JOHN ALLAN has come up.  His occupation states he retired as Editor in Chief of Valentines Publishers.  He was born in 1876 in Dundee. 

He wrote poetry and had some poems published and I would like to know the name of the book.  As he was a publisher, I would expect the the books to have been published by Valentine. 

Any information would be great.  He was also a water colour painter and I have two of those pictures."

Maurean Jorgensen-Allan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia:  March 9, 2008

If you can help to answer the question above, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to Maureen.

Thank you.  - Peter Stubbs:  March 9, 2008

Reply

Elaine Mason wrote:

"John Allan was my grandfather.  My mother, Margaret, is still alive, age 94.  She is an Allan by birth.

The water colour painter was in fact his son, John Allan Junior.  I have a large collection of his works."

Elaine Mason, Norwich, Norfolk:  April 25, 2008.

Other Items produced by Valentine

Valentine & Sons Ltd are also known to have produced sets of playing cards  -  and what else?

 Do you know when the company produced these?

Valentine & Sons Ltd