The Greyfriars Holiday Annual for Boys and Girls, 1931

[1930].  280pp, with colour cover illustration by R J MacDonald, colour plate frontispiece and further colour plates and numerous line drawings etc etc in text.  Canvas spine under illustrated paper-covered boards.  8vo. Boards are worn, chipped and rubbed around edges, spine cloth creased, with visible shelf wear.  A little wear and rubbing on text block edges.  Front hinge cracked.  Pencilled gift inscription, dated Xmas 1930, on front paste down, and ‘belongs to’ box on title page neatly completed, else internally neat and clean.

The Amalgated Press published the first Greyfriars Holiday Annual in 1920, with each issue containing numerous illustrated stories (as well as some puzzles, games and other snippets).  Many of the stories were penned by Frank Richards, or written under another of Charles Hamilton’s pen names (of which he had many) although other authors contributed stories too.  The series was hugely successful, despite its relatively high price, and continued for 22 years before ending in the midst of war-time paper shortages.  Many of the stories feature Greyfriars School and Billy Bunter or some of the other school stories created by Charles Hamilton.