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Haldeman-Julius (Emanuel) Big Blue Books and Larger Books
Collection
SC.EHJB
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Emanuel Haldeman-Julius Big Blue Books and Larger Books Collection
Creator:
Haldeman-Julius, E. (Emanuel), 1888-1951
Identifier/Call Number: SC.EHJB
Extent:
4.17 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1922-1955
Abstract: Emanuel Haldeman-Julius (1888-1951)
moved to Girard, Kansas in 1915 to begin writing for
Appeal to
Reason,
a leading socialist newspaper in pre-World War I America. In 1919, he
purchased a partnership with Louis Kopelin in the newspaper and its printing facility with
money borrowed from his wife Marcet Haldeman. He began issuing the Big Blue Books in 1925.
They were 5 ½ inches x 8 ½ inches and generally 30,000 words in 64 pages. Customers could
order titles from mail order catalogs or visit one of the outlet stores in Cincinnati, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, and Venice, Colorado. The Los Angeles store opened in 1924 in the
downtown Mercantile Arcade Building. These larger format versions cost from 25 cents to
$1.00 each.
Language of Material: English
Emanuel Haldeman-Julius, a newspaper publisher, opened a publishing house in Girard,
Kansas, in 1919 where he published small, inexpensive paperback books, including classic
works of literature and essays on myriad topics, for the working and middle classes. For his
first printing project, he selected fifty classic and socialist works. In 1923 he named the
series "Little Blue Books." Little Blue Books measure 3½" x 5" and took their name from
their blue covers. They fit into a pants or shirt pocket, and were especially popular across
the US through the 1930s and 1940s, especially with travelers. He began issuing the Big Blue
Books in 1925. They were 5 ½" x 8 ½."
Haldeman-Julius felt there was no subject too controversial to be in print. Customers
could order titles from mail order catalogs or visit one of the outlet stores in Cincinnati,
Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Venice, Colorado. The Los Angeles store opened in 1924 in
the downtown Mercantile Arcade Building (recently converted to loft apartments).
The
Big Blue Books and Larger Books are part of the Library's
Emanuel Haldeman-Julius collections. While many Haldeman-Julius publications are numbered,
varying schemes were in use over time. Haldeman-Julius occasionally reissued earlier B
numbered titles without a number or assigned a new B number (e.g. B-471 was originally
numbered B-26). Items in may have a B number and a series number, such as Joseph McCabe's
History of Human Morals. When the earlier B number could be determined it is recorded in
brackets as "originally issued as …." or "reissued as…." In some cases duplicate titles are
included that display physical differences such as different color covers or numbering
distinctions. Where the number suddenly jumps to 5000, the size also increases to over 9."
Advertisements refer to these as the "larger books." Two exceptions are B-5004 and B-5500
which are the same size as the other Big Blue Books. The collection is divided into two
major series:
Unnumbered and Numbered Titles (1923-1951) and
Publisher's Series (1922-1951).
Series I,
Unnumbered and Numbered Titles, consists of two
subseries:
Unnumbered Titles (1927-1949) and
Numbered Titles
(1923-1951). Unnumbered Titles have no B or catalog number, nor are
they part of a publisher's series. They are included here because their size and printing
format conforms to the numbered Big Blue Books. These are arranged alphabetically by author.
Numbered Titles include the B series numbers (called Big Blue Books in Haldeman-Julius
advertisements). It also includes numbered titles found in our copy of the publisher's Big
Blue Books Catalog (61 pages, no date), or confirmed against the finding guide for the
Haldeman-Julius Publications, Mid-Sized Books, 1905-1951 prepared by Dyani Scheuerman at
Kent State University Library's Department of Special Collections and Archives. Numbers from
these last two sources are bracketed.
Series II,
Publisher's Series, consists of seventeen subseries:
Subseries A,
The ABC Library of Living Knowledge (1937-1938), was
authored by Joseph McCabe (1867-1955), a former Franciscan monk and outspoken English
rationalist. They cover astronomy, fascism, Nazism, the Spanish Civil War, imperial Japan,
American politics, health, economics, and anthropology. Subseries B,
Appeal to Reason Library (1935), consists of articles on Catholicism and
contemporary world politics. Subseries C,
Black International
(1941-1942), consists of writings linking fascism and the Catholic Church. Subseries D,
Book of Life (1922), consists of works by Upton Sinclair.
Subseries E,
Digest (1944-1945), consists of condensed versions
of works by Charles Dickens, Daniel Defoe, Richard Wagner, Sir Thomas Moore, and other
well-known authors, many with new introductions by Miriam Allen deFord. Subseries F,
Freethinker's Library (1944-1945), consists of ten 15,000 word essays
on rationalism, God, and religion. Subseries G,
History of Human
Morals,
consists of essays on morality from ancient to modern times in European,
Middle Eastern, and Asian civilizations. Subseries H,
Key to
Culture,
consists of a series by McCabe on varied topics including science,
literature, education, philosophy, psychology, and art and architecture. Subseries I,
Key to Evolution, consists of materials written by Maynard Shipley,
co-founder with his wife Miriam Allen deFord, of the Science League of America during the
anti-evolution movement of the 1920s.
Subseries J,
The
Key to Love and
Sex,
consists of writings on the philosophy and history of sex, and sexual morals
in American and European civilization. Subseries K,
Notes and Comments
(1950-1951), consists of Emanuel Haldeman-Julius reflections on a variety of subjects
such as religion, sex, politics, and famous persons. Subseries L,
One
Hundred Men Who Moved the World
(1931), consists of character sketches about
individuals the author considers the greatest creative forces in history. Subseries M,
Questions and Answers (1935-1950), consists of Haldeman-Julius'
responses to reader questions. The series aimed to help the reader solve difficult problems
in government, science, and economics. Subseries N,
Reviewer's
Library
(1936), consists of short biographies of notable contemporaries such and
Jane Addams, George Gershwin, and Benito Mussolini. Subseries O,
The
Story of the Human Race (1931), consists of biographies
of historical persons. Subseries P,
Views & Reviews, consists
of opinions, criticisms, comments, character sketches, jokes and wisecracks. Subseries Q,
Wisdom of Life (1947-1949), consists of works focused on the
intellectual contributions of various authors and exotic locales including Emerson and
India.
Series I: Unnumbered and Numbered Titles, 1923-1951
Subseries A: Unnumbered Titles, 1927-1949
Subseries B: Numbered Titles, 1923-1951
Series II: Publisher's Series, 1922-1951
Subseries A: The ABC Library of Living Knowledge, 1937-1938
Subseries B: Appeal to Reason Library, 1935
Subseries C: Black International, 1941-1942
Subseries D: Book of Life, 1922
Subseries E: Digest, 1944-1945
Subseries F: The Freethinker's Library, 1944-1945
Subseries G: History of Human Morals
Subseries H: Key to Culture
Subseries I: Key to Evolution
Subseries J: The Key to Love and Sex
Subseries K: Notes and Comments, 1950-1951
Subseries L: One Hundred Men Who Moved the World, 1931
Subseries M: Questions and Answers, 1935-1950
Subseries N: Reviewer's Library, 1936
Subseries O: The Story of the Human Race, 1931
Subseries P: Views & Reviews
Subseries Q: Wisdom of Life, 1947-1949
Related Material
The collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.)
beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners.
Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the
copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
1970s, 1990
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Norman Tannis and Jack Botwin.
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style
manual, or see the
Citing Archival
Materials
guide.
Tony Gardner, 2007