THE FAMOUS FIVE SERIES: THE MYSTERY OF THE 3 EXTRA FIRST EDITION DUSTWRAPPERS. PART 2
PART 2 THE DOUBLE-VERSION DUSTWRAPPERS
FIVE GO OFF TO CAMP
The first edition was published in 1948 and the second impression in 1949. Two different dustwrappers have been found accompanying first edition books and one further dustwrapper is associated with the second impression book.
The last title listed on the rear flap of the second impression dustwrapper is Five Get Into Trouble which was first published in 1949 - this alone is enough to confirm that this dustwrapper is a reprint. This leaves 2 dustwrappers to consider. As the spine and pictorial front panel are identical on these dustwrappers, only the flaps and rear panel will be compared (the same will apply to titles 8 and 9).
Above, left to right: Wrapper front panel, Figure 6 - 1st edition Version 1, and Figure 7 - 1st edition Version 2.
5 selected areas (A-E) were measured in millimetres with the following results:
|
DUSTWRAPPER
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
|
1st ed. Version 1
|
14
|
36
|
68
|
49
|
51
|
|
1st ed. Version 2
|
17
|
34
|
69
|
51
|
53
|
Rear Panel:
Above: Figure 8 - 1st edition Version 1 & Figure 9 - 1st edition Version 2
Version 1: on lines 3, 7, 8, 9 and 11 the space between the exclamation mark/question mark and the last letter of the preceding word is narrow. Version 2 has wider spacing.
Version 1: on line 7 the first pair of inverted commas before spook is lower than the second pair of inverted commas after train , also the space between the first pair is narrower.
Version 2: on line 7 the first pair of inverted commas is printed at the same height as the second pair, also the space between individual commas of the two pairs is the same.
Version 1 has a wider space between the two l's in the word full on line 12 compared with Version 2.
Rear flap:
2 selected areas (F-G) were measured in millimetres with the following results:
|
DUSTWRAPPER
|
F
|
G
|
|
1st ed. Version 1
|
10
|
23
|
|
1st ed. Version 2
|
8
|
25
|
FIVE GET INTO TROUBLE
The first edition was published in 1949 and the second impression in 1950. As with the previous title, two different dustwrappers are associated with the first edition book and one with the second impression book.
Front flap:
Above, left to right: Figure 14 - 1st ed. Version 1, Figure 15 - 1st ed. Version 2, and Figure 16 - 2nd impression
6 selected areas (marked A-F in Figure 14) were measured in millimetres with the following results:
|
DUSTWRAPPER
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
|
1st ed. Version 1
|
86
|
15
|
82
|
46
|
32
|
58
|
|
1st ed. Version 2
|
86
|
14
|
82
|
39
|
38
|
58
|
|
2nd impression
|
83
|
18
|
80
|
46
|
29
|
61
|
Another difference: See arrows on diagrams 14 - 16 above. Version 1 has a larger space.
Rear Panel:
Above, left to right: Figure 17 - 1st edition Version 1, Figure 18 - 1st edition Version 2, and Figure 19 - 2nd impression
4 selected areas (G-J) were measured in millimetres with the following results:
|
DUSTWRAPPER
|
G
|
H
|
I
|
J
|
|
1st ed. Version 1
|
48
|
17
|
83
|
93
|
|
1st ed. Version 2
|
50
|
17
|
83
|
93
|
|
2nd impression
|
50
|
14
|
82
|
91
|
.
Some other differences:
i. ASTERISK: 'THE FIVE' is printed in capitals on the two first edition dustwrappers but is in lower case on the reprint dustwrapper.
ii. ARROW 1: Version 2 has a larger space.
iii. ARROW 2: The second impression dustwrapper has a smaller space.
iv. UPPER BLOCK OF TEXT Two short hyphens are used on the first edition dustwrappers, long hyphens are used on the reprint.
Rear flap
Above, left to right: Figure 20 - 1st ed. version 1, Figure 21 - 1st ed. version 2, and Figure 22 - 2nd impression
One selected area (K) was measured in millimeters. Results are as follows:
|
DUSTWRAPPER
|
K
|
|
1st ed. Version 1
|
158
|
|
1st ed. Version 2
|
156
|
|
2nd impression
|
154
|
Some other differences:
i. ARROW 1: Version 2 has a smaller space.
ii. ARROW 2: The second impression dustwrapper has a smaller space.
FIVE FALL INTO ADVENTURE
The first edition was published in 1950 and the second impression in 1951. Two different dustwrappers have been found accompanying first edition books and two further dustwrappers have been found with second impression books.
Fortunately, the two dustwrappers associated with the second impression books are easily distinguished from each other as one has a new-style dustwrapper and the other has an old-style DB dustwrapper (with the transitional illustrated spine). As the last title listed on the rear flap of the new-style dustwrapper is Five On A Hike Together , which was first published in 1951, then clearly this dustwrapper is a reprint. This leaves three dustwrappers to consider.
Front flap:
Above, left to right: Figure 23 - 1st edition Version 1, Figure 24 - 1st edition Version 2, and Figure 25 - 2nd Impression
4 selected areas (A-D) were measured in millimetres with the following results:
|
DUSTWRAPPER
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
|
1st ed. Version 1
|
87
|
125
|
22
|
64
|
|
1st ed. Version 2
|
83
|
125
|
22
|
62
|
|
2nd impression
|
45
|
123
|
21
|
33
|
.
Rear Panel:
Above, left to right: Figure 26 -1st ed. Version 1, Figure 27 - 1st ed. Version 2, and Figure 28 - 2nd impression
3 selected areas (E-G) were measured in millimetres with the following results:
|
DUSTWRAPPER
|
E
|
F
|
G
|
|
1st ed. Version 1
|
70
|
58
|
23
|
|
1st ed. Version 2
|
72
|
56
|
25
|
|
2nd impression
|
70
|
58
|
23
|
Another difference: See arrows on diagrams above. Version 2 has a larger space.
Rear flap
Above, left to right: Figure 29 - 1st Ed. Version 1, Figure 30 - 1st Ed. Version 2, and Figure 31 - 2nd Impression
One selected area (H) was measured in millimetres. Results are as follows:
|
DUSTWRAPPER
|
|
|
1st ed. Version 1
|
18
|
|
1st ed. Version 2
|
21
|
|
2nd impression
|
6 |
Another difference:
For both versions of the first edition the titles are in capitals, for the second impression the titles are in lower case.
SUMMARY
Consider the possibility that one of the double-version dustwrappers was a reprint and was put on a a first edition book. Looking at each title in turn:
Five Go Off To Camp
Neither Version 1 or 2 dustwrappers could possibly be a reprint because the last title listed on the rear flap of each dustwrapper is Five Go Off To Camp whereas the second impression dustwrapper lists Five Get Into Trouble as the last title.
Five Get Into Trouble
Although the dustwrappers for Versions 1 and 2 and the second impression all list Five Get Into Trouble as the last title on the rear flap, Versions 1 and 2 have an identical text, same front flap width and only differ in text layout. Conversely, the second impression dustwrapper has distinct differences, i.e. the text has been changed ('The Five' in lower case, two long hyphens, capital 'B' in Book) and the front flap width is 3mm narrower. Thus Versions 1 and 2 can only be the original dustwrappers.
Five Fall Into Adventure
The dustwrappers for Versions 1 and 2 and the second impression (old-style) all list Five Fall Into Adventure as the last title on the rear flap. The text for the two versions is identical but there is a 4mm difference in front flap width. In comparision, the text on the second impression dustwrapper has been changed (lower case titles on the rear flap) and the flaps are much narrower. Thus Versions 1 and 2 can only be the original dustwrappers.
So far it has been determined that the extra dustwrappers occurred specifically in the DB era and the inconsistencies between the double versions relate mainly to text layout and minor text differences. Important though this information is, on its own it does not suggest any reason for the occurrence of the extra dustwrappers, so, what next? Of the 29 DB dustwrappers published, only the 6 first edition dustwrappers have been examined in detail - could the 23 reprint dustwrappers provide any clues?
(Published on 30th Oct 2014 )
