Bai Jove! British Story Papers & Boys' Weeklies

Images and occasional text from British story papers or "boys' weeklies." Mostly between-wars, but some posts may be as early as 1905 or as late as 1940.  "Gussy" D'Arcy fan. Pictures and text are a reflection of their time and may contain prejudices and/or problematic attitudes which are, and were, wrong - I filter most out, but one can't pretend that horrible attitudes didn't exist.

[britishstorypapers]

The Gem Feb 8, 1908.

(I checked - there was not.)

[britishstorypapers]

Bolsover major sat up, groped for a boot, and hurled it with deadly aim.  There was a wild yell from Lord Mauleverer as he caught the boot with the side of his noble head.  “Yarooooh!” “Well hit!” chirruped Skinner.

The Magnet Mar 3, 1928.

[danskjavlarna]

“Lookin’ as handsome as the law allows.”  From Everybody’s Magazine, 1908.

[britishstorypapers]

Schoolgirls' Weekly Jul 21, 1934.

[yesterdaysprint]

Boston Post, Massachusetts, February 26, March 5 & March 12, 1921

[britishstorypapers]

Feverishly the girl counted some notes from the bundle.  They were forgeries, Noel was convinced.  He hated to think that Mavis was implicated, yet it certainly seemed that she was.

Girls’ Crystal Sep 25, 1937.

[twofistedpulp]

After a bunch of researching…it IS a Rafael DeSoto!

Black Mask magazine, vol.25 #7, December 1942.

In my mind, the pulp crime/adventure artist Mount Rushmore is a simple thing, Walter Baumhofer, Rudolph Belarski, Norman Saunders and mister *Shadow* himself, Rafael DeSoto.

There is one other fun thing about this issue, Flash Casey, better known to old time radio listeners as Casey, Crime Photographer.

More new pulps to come. #mypulpfinds

[britishstorypapers]

“It’s D’Arcy’s imagination, old chap,” exclaimed Trimble.  “There’s nothing under the table - honour bright!”

“Weally, Twimble --”

Tom Merry looked at Trimble grimly, then rose and pulled the tea-table aside.  Ejaculations of amazement followed, for there, on the carpet, where Trimble had been crouching under the table while in hiding, was revealed a large cake - with a large gap in it!

The Gem Jun 7, 1924.

[oligopsonoia-deactivated2017053]

this appears to be where lovecraft’s “Call of Cthulhu” first found print and I love that it was upstaged by GHOST TABLE

[britishstorypapers]

He had fallen over the body of Denby which lay there.  How he came to be there we dared not conjecture.

Chums Dec 22, 1923.

[danskjavlarna]

“Mr. Golightly is made a member of the Mutton Cutlet Club.”  From Once a Week, 1871.

[britishstorypapers]

“The Adventures of a Three-Guinea Watch,” The Boy’s Own Paper Oct 2, 1880.

[trashmenace]

Short Stories

[britishstorypapers]

We are not looking for perfect copperplate writing.  If you write a bold fist, or a neat hand, you are almost sure of a prize.  We are to judge your writing for its clearness and style and, above all, the CHARACTER it shows, and will award marks ACCORDING TO AGE.

THE TEST SENTENCE IS:- “I am keen to win a prize, and I hope to win a ball with ‘The quick brown fox jumps gaily over the garden wall.’”

Reblog this post with your entries, readers!

(Readers without accounts on Tumblr, you can use the “letter to the editor” option and I’ll post them.)

D.C. Thompson’s “All-British Writing Championship,” Spring 1935. 

[britishstorypapers]

“I hope you fellows don’t intend to come out like a crowd of wagamuffins!” said D’Arcy, giving a final polish to the silk hat he held in his hand.

The Gem Feb 15, 1908.

[britishstorypapers]

[stirling-greene]

Cover of April 2, 1902 issue of Puck, v. 51, no. 1309

The caption reads:

Miss Blossom -  But a married man always has some one to share his sorrows, you know!

Jack Bachelor - Not always; - every married man can’t afford to keep a valet and a butler.