Early Illustrated End-Papers

	ILLUSTRATED END-PAPERS

It was not uncommon for books during the 1930s to have illustrated end-papers, but few of them were actually designed by the author. Dennis Wheatley and his wife Joan together with his step-daughter Diana Younger, produced illustrated end-papers for most of his books published from 1933 to 1940; the exceptions being 'Such Power is Dangerous' and 'Old Rowley' – 1933, and 'Three Inquisitive People' – 1940, none of which had illustrated end-papers, and 'Red Eagle' – 1937, which carried standard maps. The last book to include these personal illustrations was 'Faked Passports' – 1940. On the end-paper of the following book 'The Black Baroness', printed onto a map of Europe, Wheatley wrote: 'no time to draw my own map these days. . . '

After the war, he never resumed the practise, and subsequent end-papers generally carried maps of the story's location provided by Geographia, a subsidiary of Hutchinson.

The illustrations are full of idiosyncratic detail. Diana Younger, did have some formal training as an artist, but in her own words, was 'always a little too lazy to be really good'. Nevertheless, her contributions are always attractive and the rather stiffly drawn figures and animals undoubtedly possess a quirky charm. After moving to America in the 1946 she took up sculpture, and according to Wheatley: 'Her success in this medium proved quite remarkable and high prices are paid for her pieces'.

The end-papers for 'The Forbidden Territory' were the first that Wheatley and his wife illustrated, but because of the huge demand for the book, at least a third of the initial print-run were rushed out without the printer inserting the illustrations, as can be seen in the copy held by the British Library.

Probably the most interesting end-paper designs are those in 'The Devil Rides Out' where a border of cabalistic symbols, zodiacal signs and Egyptian hieroglyphs frame a map of Wiltshire dotted with vintage cars, demons, witches on broomsticks, Egyptian gods and even the Great Beast himself! The original artwork for this was once on offer for 'several thousand pounds'.

As these books are so expensive, they were not pressed down onto the scanner, so apologies for the small loss along the hinge in the following images:-

(if you wish to view the 1st edition details, click on the book title,
then use your browser's [Back] button to return here).
See also The Maps for Dennis Wheatley's Books

THE FORBIDDEN TERRITORY

(January 1933)