BRAB – BRITISH PULP FICTION AT
ASH RARE BOOKS
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LONDON SW17 8RE
UNITED KINGDOM

London : Scion, (1952). First edition. Among the most glamorous, unexpected and toughest of the stable of pulp-fiction writers who wrote for Scion was Betty Williams, also known by her married name of Betty Uelmen, who under her “Dail Ambler” and “Danny Spade” personas, became one of the most successful of all of the British pulp-writers. With some experience of Hollywood, she later found some notoriety for the storyline and screenplay of perhaps the most interesting of the British teen rebellion, beatnik and coffee-bar movies, released in 1960 as “Beat Girl” in the UK and “Wild for Kicks” in the USA, and starring Adam Faith, David Farrar, Shirley Anne Field, Gillian Hills, Christopher Lee, Peter McEnery, Oliver Reed, etc.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 112pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by Brab – elegant brunette, gun peeps from purse; some wear at foot and one corner; some creasing to wrappers; American price sticker overlaid on upper cover; some spotting to final leaves, but a fairly good copy of a fragile production. Just three copies (Bodleian, Iowa, and Trinity College, Dublin) located in major libraries worldwide.

SOLD

London : Hamilton & Co. (Stafford), [1948]. First edition. Stranger in town wants to paint the pretty girl with the flaxen hair and the beautiful fingers who works behind the food counter on the High Street.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 32pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers in a design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); staples rusted, with some discolouration; text very slightly wrinkled, but otherwise a very good copy. Just a single copy (British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

£20

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London : Hamilton & Co. (Stafford), [1949]. First edition. Marguerite de Manell comes of age: she owns a great historic castle, but can’t afford to – she is living in a poky bed-sit and working as a shorthand typist.
Crown 8vo (19cm). [32]pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); wrappers a little split; two repaired tears to rear wrapper, and one to upper wrapper; a reasonable copy of a fragile item. Just a single copy (British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

£10

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London : Hamilton & Co. (Stafford), [1949]. First edition. Marguerite de Manell comes of age: she owns a great historic castle, but can’t afford to – she is living in a poky bed-sit and working as a shorthand typist.
Crown 8vo (19cm). [32]pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); spine and edges a little smoke blackened; wrappers a little marked; staples rusted; a reasonable copy of a scarce and fragile item. Just a single copy (British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

£10

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London : Hamilton & Co. (Stafford), [1949]. First edition. The lovely Mavis Denton scores a notable success in the factory’s amateur theatricals – onwards to a screen test, but also moral danger.
Crown 8vo (19cm). [32]pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); spine and edges a little smoke blackened; spine a little split; wrappers creased; rear wrapper and last leaf also partly blackened; staples rusted; a poor but serviceable copy of a scarce and fragile item. Just a single copy (British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

£15

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London : Robert Hale, (1954). First paperback edition. Only the jewel-thief knows where the loot is – how to spring him from jail. First published in 1952.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 160pp. Original pictorial wrappers – a stylish design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); slight nick and flaw at foot; corner crease to lower wrapper, but overall a very good copy. No copy of this edition located in any major library.

£10

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London : Hamilton & Co. (Stafford), [1949]. First edition. Wealthy playboy flies into London Airport after a year spent proving his worth in the mines of Africa – but Norma is still not impressed.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 32pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a typical design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); some minor wear; a few slight marks; staples rusted and wrappers now detached, but a good copy of an uncommon title. Just a single copy (British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

£20

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London : Hamilton & Co. (Stafford), 1947. First edition. Newspaper editor and private investigator arrive at a country inn with a peculiar landlord – reporter Miss French has gone missing.
Crown 8vo (18cm). 64pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – an elegant design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); a little worn and split; spine and edges smoke blackened; a few minor marks, but a serviceable copy of a scarce title. Just a single copy (British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

£20

To purchase, call us or e-mail us at books@ashrare.com quoting stock number 45261 – or simply click on the button

London : Hadley Publications, [ca. 1950]. First edition. “Calling all wolves!” – seven Parisian stories, ostensibly by Celeste Chamard, Henri Jacquet, Pierre Guichon, Alix Breziab, Estelle Pichet, Adele d’Arcy and Blanche Loubier.
Crown 4to (25cm). 32pp. Illustrations and photographs. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); minor creasing; lower wrapper with “2/6” price stamp and inked initial; overall a very good copy. No copy located in any major library worldwide.

SOLD

New York, Los Angeles & London : Maurice Hall Publications, [ca. 1950]. First edition. Stories from Robert Kingston (2), Anne Frazer, Janice Temple, Lester Kearns and Frederick Foden. The New York and Los Angeles of the imprint appear to represent wishful thinking.
Crown 4to (25cm). 32pp. Illustrations and glamour photographs. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); minor rubbing and one slight crease; small mark and “2/6” price-stamp on upper wrapper; overall a very good copy. No copy located in any major library worldwide.

£40

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London : Paget Publications, [1949]. First edition. Death aboard the luxury liner which large and loud Tim McGee had a hunch about and stowed away on to be near Janet Masani.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 64pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – an elegant design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); a little worn and creased; spine and parts of edges smoke blackened; rear wrapper a little soiled; staples rusted; a few minor marks, but a serviceable copy of a scarce title. No copy located in any major library worldwide.

£25

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London : Twyn Barlwm Press (Bear Hudson – distributors), [1948]. One of the seven issues of this Bear Hudson publication – three illustrated short stories: “Holiday Queen” by Effie Keene; “One Girl’s Secret” by Frances Ferry, and “Her Gypsy Lover” by Veronica Slater.
Crown 4to (24cm). 32pp. Illustrations. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); spine and edges a little smoke blackened; insect damage to rear wrapper, with a small hole penetrating into the final eight text leaves, with the loss of a few letters; staples rusted; a serviceable copy of an attractive publication. Just a single copy (British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

SOLD

London : Hamilton & Co. (Stafford), [1949]. First edition. Ann gives the gondolier a charming smile, pats her auburn hair, and almost falls out of the gondola.
Crown 8vo (19cm). [32]pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by “Brab” – Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); wrappers lightly rubbed and slightly creased; staples rusted, but otherwise a very good copy. Just a single copy (British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

£15

To purchase, call us or e-mail us at books@ashrare.com quoting stock number 43288 – or simply click on the button

London : Paget Publications, [1949]. First edition. Innocent and beautiful Tricia Duncan is confused by the two new men who arrive to run her disabled grandfather’s farm.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 32pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by Oliver Gilmore Brabbins (1912-1973); wrappers lightly rubbed and very slightly creased; staples rusted, and wrappers now loose, but otherwise a good copy. Just a single copy (British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

£20

To purchase, call us or e-mail us at books@ashrare.com quoting stock number 43289 – or simply click on the button

London : Hamilton & Co. (Stafford), [ca.1946]. First edition. Selma Langston, pretty as a picture, does not care for her job selling dresses to fat women. Also included in this typical early Hamilton production is a second short story, “Dangerous Lover” by Christine Waverley.
Crown 8vo (19cm). 32pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers, a stylish design by Brab; wrappers slightly chipped and creased at upper corner; some creasing throughout; staples rusted, but a good copy of a scarce title. Not listed by Holland &Williams. No copy located in any major library worldwide.

SOLD

London : Hamilton & Co. (Stafford), [1949]. First edition. Sheena begins to think she has married beneath her – and the acute post-war housing shortage is not helping. Jean Wattson is thought perhaps to be a pseudonym of the author John F. Watt. Although not announced on cover or title-page, the last seventeen pages contain a separate story – “Flame of Desire” by Janice Talbot.
Crown 8vo (19cm). [32]pp. Original pictorial stapled wrappers – a design by Brab; a few faint marks; staples rusted, but overall a very good copy of a scarce and fragile item. Just a single copy (British Library) located in major libraries worldwide.

£25

To purchase, call us or e-mail us at books@ashrare.com quoting stock number 45215 – or simply click on the button