Short Stories of To-Day and Yesterday

George G. Harrap & Co., Ltd. (London, UK)
Series dates: 1928-1939
Size: 4.5″ x 7″

Harrap’s Short Stories of To-Day and Yesterday series reprinted short stories from mostly contemporary writers and a few 19th-century authors. It followed similar Harrap series, One-Act Plays of To-Day (1924 to 1948) and Essays of To-Day and Yesterday (1926 to 1938). The Short Stories of To-Day and Yesterday series reached 17 volumes, the majority published in 1928 (the series first year) and 1929. No new volumes seem to have been issued after the Bill Adams title in 1931. Reprints extend to 1939.

1928
Arnold Bennett
G.K. Chesterton
Bret Harte
W.W. Jacobs
Barry Pain
Eden Phillpotts
Morley Roberts
Anthony Trollope
1929
Ernest Bramah
Gerald Bullett
Irvin Cobb
George Gissing
A. Neil Lyons
Guy de Maupassant
Arthur Morrison
1930
Algernon Blackwood
1931
Bill Adams

Jackets were common to the series. This copy of Irvin S. Cobb’s entry in the series is dated 1929, the second year of the series. What is probably an earlier text jacket (not shown here) was replaced by the more common repeating pattern jacket by 1929. This design may have been inspired by Curwen Press designs. The only variable is the changing name of the author on the front of the jacket. The series name encircles the author’s name. The pattern used on the jacket precludes the inclusion of any other information on the jacket front and flaps.

short_stories_of_today_and_yesterday_djfront

The back and rear flap of the jacket continues the pattern, and no additional information is included.

short_stories_of_today_and_yesterday_djback

Solid cloth bindings have minimal decoration, only the author, and title in gold.

short_stories_of_today_and_yesterday_bind

The half title page includes the series name and author of the stories in the volume.

short_stories_of_today_and_yesterday_halftit

A list of the first 15 (of 17) titles issued in the series faces the title page. The title page includes the series name, author, and publisher’s imprint.

short_stories_of_today_and_yesterday_tit

Copyright page includes the year of publication and publisher information. Printer information is included at the bottom of the page.

short_stories_of_today_and_yesterday_cr

A few titles appear with a faux-leather binding in a box. This may have been an attempt to sell books in what seems to have been, by 1930, a struggling series.