Penguin Collectors Society
Encyclopedia
The Penguin Collectors Society (PCS) is an educational charity based in the United Kingdom
. Its primary purpose is to promote the study and research of all aspects of Penguin Books
, the publishing company founded by Allen Lane
in 1935.
and typography
, and the role that its many thousands of published titles have played in influencing and educating generations of readers. While it is evident that this rich cultural heritage should be preserved for future generations, paperbacks, by their nature, are not hard wearing and many of them eventually get thrown away. The PCS is therefore committed to the acquisition and conservation of Penguin books and related material, which it regularly donates to the Penguin Archive at the University of Bristol
.
From an initial membership of 38 in 1974, the PCS now has around 500 members in countries throughout the world . There is no requirement for members to collect Penguin books (though some members do) and reasons for joining cover a wide range of interests. These include, but are by no means limited to:
The PCS is funded by annual subscriptions from its members and by sales of its publications to non-members (members receive a copy of each new PCS publication). Research, writing, book production and all administrative duties are undertaken by trustees and other members on a voluntary basis. The PCS was registered as a limited company in 2001 and became a registered charity the following year . Its members usually meet twice a year, once being for the Annual General Meeting which is held at a different UK venue each year.
Further details of these and other publications can be found on the PCS website .
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Its primary purpose is to promote the study and research of all aspects of Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
, the publishing company founded by Allen Lane
Allen Lane
Sir Allen Lane was a British publisher who founded Penguin Books, bringing high quality paperback fiction and non-fiction to the mass market.-Early life and family:...
in 1935.
History
The PCS was started in 1974 by a small group of enthusiasts in Richmond, southwest London, who recognised the importance of Penguin’s contribution to publishing history, its innovations in book designBook design
Book design is the art of incorporating the content, style, format, design, and sequence of the various components of a book into a coherent whole....
and typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
, and the role that its many thousands of published titles have played in influencing and educating generations of readers. While it is evident that this rich cultural heritage should be preserved for future generations, paperbacks, by their nature, are not hard wearing and many of them eventually get thrown away. The PCS is therefore committed to the acquisition and conservation of Penguin books and related material, which it regularly donates to the Penguin Archive at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
.
From an initial membership of 38 in 1974, the PCS now has around 500 members in countries throughout the world . There is no requirement for members to collect Penguin books (though some members do) and reasons for joining cover a wide range of interests. These include, but are by no means limited to:
- The history of Penguin Books and other twentieth-century publishers.
- The design and content of the books, including cover artwork, typography and boxed sets.
- Series and subseries such as crime, Penguin Classics and Modern Classics, King Penguins and Penguin CelebrationsPenguin CelebrationsPenguin Celebrations was a book series released by Penguin Books in 2008, Penguin re-released 36 modern popular works using Penguin's distinctive late 1940s style, rebranded 'Penguin Celebrations'...
. - Imprints such as Pelican Books and Puffin BooksPuffin BooksPuffin Books is the children's imprint of British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s it has been the largest publisher of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world.-Early history:...
. - People past and present, including Allen Lane, Edward YoungEdward YoungEdward Young was an English poet, best remembered for Night Thoughts.-Early life:He was the son of Edward Young, later Dean of Salisbury, and was born at his father's rectory at Upham, near Winchester, where he was baptized on 3 July 1683. He was educated at Winchester College, and matriculated...
, W E WilliamsWilliam Emrys WilliamsBill Williams was Editor-in-Chief of Penguin Books from 1936 to 1965 and powerhouse of popular education in the 20th century. [1]A close collaborator with Allen Lane, Penguin's founder, for over thirty years, he was the cultural force behind Penguin Books' success...
, E V Rieu, Jan TschicholdJan TschicholdJan Tschichold was a typographer, book designer, teacher and writer.-Life:Tschichold was the son of a provincial signwriter, and he was trained in calligraphy...
, Hans Schmoller, Tony GodwinTony GodwinAnthony James Wylie "Tony" Godwin was a British publisher of the 1960s/1970s. His contribution to the publishing industry is recognized in the form of the Tony Godwin Memorial Trust....
, Germano FacettiGermano FacettiGermano Facetti was an Italian graphic designer who headed design at Penguin Books from 1962 to 1971.Born in Milan he was arrested in 1943 for putting up anti-Fascist posters...
, Romek MarberRomek MarberRomek Marber was a Polish freelance designer noted for his work with Penguin Books.Marber arrived in Britain in 1946; in 1961, impressed by Marber’s covers for The Economist, Germano Facetti commissioned Marber to design covers for Simeon Potter's Our Language and Language in the Modern World...
, Alan AldridgeAlan AldridgeAlan Aldridge is an English artist, graphic designer and illustrator.-Personal life:Born in 1943 in east London, he currently resides in Los Angeles...
, David Pelham, and other directors, editors, designers, typographers, cover artists and illustrators. - Promotional materials, publications catalogues and other Penguin ephemera.
The PCS is funded by annual subscriptions from its members and by sales of its publications to non-members (members receive a copy of each new PCS publication). Research, writing, book production and all administrative duties are undertaken by trustees and other members on a voluntary basis. The PCS was registered as a limited company in 2001 and became a registered charity the following year . Its members usually meet twice a year, once being for the Annual General Meeting which is held at a different UK venue each year.
PCS publications
The PCS publishes a twice-yearly journal along with other titles in book form, some of which are listed below:- The Penguin Collector (normally published in June and December) is the official journal of the Penguin Collectors Society and features articles, letters, news and other Penguin material, with many contributions coming from PCS members.
- Drawn Direct to the Plate (2010) by Joe Pearson is a comprehensive study of Noel Carrington and the Puffin Picture Books [216 pages with 380 illustrations, mostly in colour].
- A Checklist of the Puffin Picture Books and Related Series (2010) is a companion to Drawn Direct to the Plate and provides detailed printing information for all Puffin Picture Books, Puffin Cut-out Books, Baby Puffins, Porpoise Books, Livros Ilustrados Puffin, Collection du Vieux Chamois, other foreign-language Puffin Picture Books, and Harlequin Books [80 pages with 212 colour illustrations].
- Penguin by Illustrators (2009), edited by Steve Hare, contains transcripts of presentations given by five Penguin illustrators during a second study day organised by the PCS at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2007. There are also chapters by Quentin BlakeQuentin BlakeQuentin Saxby Blake, CBE, FCSD, RDI, is an English cartoonist, illustrator and children's author, well-known for his collaborations with writer Roald Dahl.-Education:...
and David GentlemanDavid GentlemanDavid Gentleman is an English artist-designer. He studied illustration at the Royal College of Art under Edward Bawden and John Nash. He has worked in various media - watercolour, lithography, wood engraving - and at scales ranging from the platform-length murals for Charing Cross underground...
, plus shorter articles by Alan Aldridge, Coralie Bickford-Smith, Andy Bridge, Len DeightonLen DeightonLeonard Cyril Deighton is a British military historian, cookery writer, and novelist. He is perhaps most famous for his spy novel The IPCRESS File, which was made into a film starring Michael Caine....
, Alasdair GrayAlasdair GrayAlasdair Gray is a Scottish writer and artist. His most acclaimed work is his first novel Lanark, published in 1981 and written over a period of almost 30 years...
, Bryan KnealeBryan KnealeBryan Kneale RA is a Manx artist and sculptor, described by BBC News Online as "one of the Isle of Man's best known artists."-Biography:...
, David Pearson and twenty other Penguin illustrators [200 pages with approx 600 colour illustrations].
- Penguin Classics (1994; revised and expanded 2008), edited by Russell Edwards, Steve Hare and Jim Robinson, provides a detailed history of the long-running Penguin Classics series, along with a fourteen-page checklist [144 pages with 200 illustrations, 73 in colour].
- Penguin by Designers (2007), edited by Steve Hare and Phil Baines, contains transcripts of presentations given by six Penguin designers - Derek BirdsallDerek Birdsall-Early life:Birdsall was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1934 and attended The King's School, Pontefract, Wakefield College of Art and Central School of Arts and Crafts in London...
, Jerry Cinamon, Romek Marber, John Miles, David Pelham and Jim Stoddart - during a study day organised by the PCS at London’s Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in 2005, along with a reprint of a 1967 article by Germano Facetti describing his work at Penguin [184 pages with approx 250 colour illustrations].
- The Penguin Companion (1997; revised and expanded 2006), compiled by Martin Yates, is an essential reference text for students and researchers, with over 700 'A to Z' entries and a Reference Guide [248 pages with 291 colour illustrations].
- Penguin in Print (2003), compiled by Tim Graham, is a bibliography of printed material about Penguin Books with numerous extracts and colour illustrations [112 pages].
- The Penguin Modern Painters: A History (2001) by Carol Peaker examines the Penguin Modern Painters series of monographs that were published in 1944-59 . The nineteen artists featured in the series were Edward BawdenEdward BawdenEdward Bawden, CBE, RA was a British painter, illustrator and graphic artist. He was also famous for his prints, book covers, posters, and garden metalwork furniture...
, Georges BraqueGeorges BraqueGeorges Braque[p] was a major 20th century French painter and sculptor who, along with Pablo Picasso, developed the art style known as Cubism.-Early Life:...
, Edward BurraEdward BurraEdward Burra was an English painter, draughtsman, and printmaker, best known for his depictions of the urban underworld, black culture and the Harlem scene of the 1930s....
, Duncan GrantDuncan GrantDuncan James Corrowr Grant was a British painter and designer of textiles, potterty and theatre sets and costumes...
, Ivon HitchensIvon HitchensIvon Hitchens was an English painter who started exhibiting during the 1920s. He became part of the 'London Group' of artists and exhibited with them during the 1930s. His house was bombed in 1940 during World War II, at which point he moved to a caravan on a patch of woodland near Petworth in...
, Frances HodgkinsFrances HodgkinsFrances Mary Hodgkins was a painter chiefly of landscape and still life, and for a short period was a designer of textiles. She was born in New Zealand, but spent most of her working life in Britain...
, Edward HopperEdward HopperEdward Hopper was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching...
, David JonesDavid Jones (poet)David Jones CH was both a painter and one of the first generation British modernist poets. As a painter he worked chiefly in watercolor, painting portraits and animal, landscape, legendary and religious subjects. He was also a wood-engraver and designer of inscriptions. As a writer he was...
, Paul KleePaul KleePaul Klee was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland, and is considered both a German and a Swiss painter. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He was, as well, a student of orientalism...
, Henry MooreHenry MooreHenry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
, Paul NashPaul Nash (artist)Paul Nash was a British landscape painter, surrealist and war artist, as well as a book-illustrator, writer and designer of applied art. He was the older brother of the artist John Nash.-Early life:...
, Ben NicholsonBen NicholsonBenjamin Lauder "Ben" Nicholson, OM was a British painter of abstract compositions , landscape and still-life.-Background and Training:...
, William NicholsonWilliam Nicholson (artist)Sir William Newzam Prior Nicholson was an English painter of still-life, landscape and portraits, also known for his work as a wood-engraver, illustrator, author of children's books and designer for the theatre....
, Victor PasmoreVictor PasmoreEdwin John Victor Pasmore was a British artist and architect. He pioneered the development of abstract art in Britain in the 1940s and 1950s.-Biography:...
, John PiperJohn Piper (artist)John Egerton Christmas Piper, CH was a 20th-century English painter and printmaker. For much of his life he lived at Fawley Bottom in Buckinghamshire, near Henley-on-Thames.-Life:...
, Ben ShahnBen ShahnBen Shahn was a Lithuanian-born American artist. He is best known for his works of social realism, his left-wing political views, and his series of lectures published as The Shape of Content.-Biography:...
, Matthew SmithMatthew Smith (artist)Sir Matthew Smith was a British painter of nudes, still-life and landscape.-Biography:Matthew Arnold Bracy Smith was born on 22 October 1879 in Halifax, the son of a wire-manufacturer...
, Stanley SpencerStanley SpencerSir Stanley Spencer was an English painter. Much of his work depicts Biblical scenes, from miracles to Crucifixion, happening not in the Holy Land but in the small Thames-side village where he was born and spent most of his life...
, and Graham SutherlandGraham SutherlandGraham Vivien Sutherland OM was an English artist.-Early life:He was born in Streatham, attending Homefield Preparatory School, Sutton. He was then educated at Epsom College, Surrey before going up to Goldsmiths, University of London...
[124 pages with twelve colour plates].
- The Buildings of England: A Celebration (2001), edited by Simon Bradley and Bridget Cherry, considers the series of forty-six county-by-county guides to The Buildings of EnglandPevsner Architectural GuidesThe Pevsner Architectural Guides are a series of guide books to the architecture of the British Isles. Begun in the 1940s by art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the 46 volumes of the Buildings of England series were published between 1951 and 1975. The series was then extended to Scotland and...
by the art historian Nikolaus PevsnerNikolaus PevsnerSir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
that were published by Penguin in 1951-74 [128 pages with eight plates, some in colour].
Further details of these and other publications can be found on the PCS website .
External links
- Penguin Collectors Society official website