You can peruse the copies of books I own in this library at the top of this page. Click on the link to see the books collected in each series. I am updating it all the time.
The Penguin Library and Reading Room
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| These books are from the main Penguin series numbers 1 - 3000 plus. I will never have all of them but will enjoy spending the rest of my life looking for them. Most of them are first published. I have stopped collecting reprints and now try to only buy first published or replace the reprints I currently have. |
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| This shelf holds several of the other Penguin series, listed at the top of this page. I continue to look for first published books. Almost all of these are. |
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| One more bookshelf of first published Penguin series. These are the King Penguins, The Penguin Poets and the vintage Classic Penguins. The top shelf has some boxed sets and a collection of the Penguin Travel Books a local man was selling. |
Penguin Ephemera (always looking for more)
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| If you wanted to order a book decades ago you would send in a postcard. You could find these in the new books at the time. |
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| This is a picture of the Penguincubator. You would find this little machine in train stations. Put in your coins and a Penguin book popped out. The original machines would be worth a fortune. Sadly I only have a photo. |
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| The 50th anniversary celebration in the Penguin News paper |
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| An original paper bag that your new Penguin would be wrapped in. |
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| A replica of the Penguin trucks that would deliver these books to the bookstores. |
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| The Institute of Contemporary Arts held a display of Penguin book cover art in 2013. London |
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| If you want to send a Penguin book you could get cardboard mailers to wrap your book in and off it would go in the post. This one says: A Penguin To Greet You Bottom right hand: The booklet advertising the 75 Popular Penguins produced 5 years ago. The publisher announced a photo shoot in all major cities of Australia. I showed up at the Hobart shoot in Orange Converse sneakers holding a matching orange Penguin book. 75 people were picked nationwide to be in the publicity book. That is me on the upper left hand side holding the Popular Penguin - Scoop. |
A more modern Penguin greeting card I picked up on sale.
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| This is a Penguin postcard. |
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The watch produced for the 60th anniversary of Penguin.
Yes it works.
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The Penguin poster I talked a book seller in Hobart into giving me.
The Popular Penguin poster for the 75th anniversary.
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| I also talked the bookseller into getting me a bag too. |
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| These vinyl Penguin covers were produced in different colours. My old mate Brian found one in an op shop and gave it to me. What a find for Hobart. |
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| This is a page from Good Reading magazine in Australia featuring my Penguin collection. I was pleased they asked me. |
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| This is the poster advertising the Great Ideas books that were published several years ago for another anniversary. |
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| These were distributed by the members of the Penguin Collector's Society in England with their publications. |
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| Another Penguin newspaper about the 50th anniversary. It looks nice on the shelf. |
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| I don't usually buy the new Penguin products but my friend knew how much I love stationary and they were a present. |
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| We are always looking for more books to add to our collection. Contact me if you have some you want to sell or donate. |
It is perfect...a fabulous room to relax in!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam, I am enjoying finding all these things and the room is a nice place to spend time in.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great collection, love that you have matched the other furnishings, like the orange coloured chair. Love the portability of penguins, so light weight, I especially loved the great ideas and great journeys range when they came out and the current range of little black penguins, I can now carry a couple of reading choices with me at all times. Years ago as a student I often bought cheap second hand penguin editions and then when moving house a few ears ago I had a big garage sale and they all went. I wish I had kept them, there is something particularly comforting about those old editions. I have a daughter who now grabs the green crime penguins when ever she comes across them, she has a love of old, often out of print crime. For so many of us penguin has been such a fundamental part of our reading lives
ReplyDeleteLove your collection.
Thanks Arabella. I have those series you mention. Penguins are easy to carry around. You're right about people growing up with them. I didn't bc I grew up in America. I discovered them after I moved to Australia and just love them.
ReplyDeleteHow nice you have put your collection together. Must have been a huge work. It looks so nice with the surrounding furniture and colours going with it. How nice also with the various ranges that go with the collection. Since they are all the same size it also looks very nice and even in the book case. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThan you Lizbeth. It is always a bit of a buzz when I find a new (old) Penguin I don't have. A never ending project.
DeleteWhat an amazing and beautiful collection!
ReplyDeleteThank you Joan. I appreciate your comment.
DeleteThis is fantastic. Such a great idea. Everyhing goes together so well. Almost like a small museum.
ReplyDeleteLovely.
Thank you. I found the orange chair at the City Mission for 20 $.It was gray. I took it straight to the upholsterer with an orange Penguin book and told him to match it. I was pleased with the outcome. The orange chair at the computer was at the tip shop. I had to. Carry it home on the back of my scooter as I didn't have a car that day and they wouldn't hold it until the next day. I looked very funny going down the road with the chair tied upside down on the scooter.
DeleteA fabulous collection, and beautifully displayed.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jane. It has been a lot of fun.
DeleteI love your library and I love your collection. And where can I get myself one of those toy Penguin truck models?
ReplyDeleteI got it in a book catalogue sale from a Penguin collector in England. If I ever see another one I will see if I can get it for you.
Deleteimpressive. a world class collection. thanks for sharing those pictures, they give an idea of what's possible in the collection field and the greater than expected range of Penguin products. they're hard to find over here, but i've managed to accumulate about one hundred of them. like arabella's daughter, i try to find the green ones from the golden age of detective fiction, but they're scarce as the proverbial hen's tooth.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure where you are but I think it is North America. I have been asked if I collect American Penguins but no, I don't though they have lovely covers and I love American Lit. I have not found an English Penguin over there though I know they exist.
DeleteThank you for sharing! Such lovely pictures, and everything so beautifully organized. I still sometimes come across those postcards in order books, and I'm always tempted to mail them in & see what happens :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the postcards are still used. I am happy to have the whole collection is up for people to enjoy. If you're ever in Hobart feel free to stop in for a tea or coffee and visit the books.
DeleteYour collection of Penguins is impressive, and I love the way you've shelved them, and the ephemera you've collected, and especially the orange chairs and lampshade. It's created such a nice, bright. light, cheery space where you can sit and read, and work on the computer.
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine. I do love my Penguin room. Though it does not get too much use during our winter months as we don't often heat it as it is closed off to the rest of the house but warmer weather the last couple of weeks has it open.
DeleteThanks Christine. I do love my Penguin room. Though it does not get too much use during our winter months as we don't often heat it as it is closed off to the rest of the house but warmer weather the last couple of weeks has it open.
DeleteWow! That's fabulous - I love the orange furniture you've decorated the room with too :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Brona. I bought the old grey chair at city mission for $20.00. Drove straight to an upholsterer with an orange Penguin book and asked him to match the colour. I think he did a wonderful job. I just love it.
DeleteSuch a gorgeous display, and nice to know some of the stories behind them. I really *really* want a Penguincubator now... ;-)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. Aren't they wonderful !!
DeleteCan't imagine how u found the energy and time to do such a fabulous arrangement of your classics....all just
ReplyDeletegorgeous!! thanks for all the pix.
i am sorry to see your side bar w/ your fav blogs on it no longer lists the name of the last entry in ea blog....i am a faithful
follower of your blog and also enjoyed very much using your side bar list to see if any articles appealed....so your blog was one of 2 that i follow that do this....so hoping that maybe some day that can return.
keep those lovely pix and articles a comin'.....love love your stories...u're amazing...thanks quinn
Thank you very much for the kind comments. I am happy to change the blog roll back to the way it was. I was just trying different settings. I will change it back. All the best, Pam
ReplyDeletePam...you're amazing. Many thanks for blog favs change. I seem to like most of the blogs u follow and i follow lots of them daily, but this really helps to select and fit in those articles that speak to me more efficiently.. Many thanks for your thoughtfulness..not that I'm surpirised as to how thoughtful u are having read your blog for i'ld say a few yrs now.
ReplyDeletehave big fun this week and thank u again. quinn
Thanks very much.
ReplyDelete