In the Shop

Most Ladybird collectors will be familiar with the revolving wire racks which some newsagents still use to display their Ladybird books on, but details of earlier display stands are scarce. Single plastic "shelves" which hold around three dozen titles were produced in the eighties (I purchased one from an antique fair some years ago).

With the Ladybird logo emblazoned along the edge, the dealer was of the opinion that it would be ideal for anyone who actually collected the books - "not that anybody does" he concluded!), and prior to that there were wire walls racks with tin banners fixed to the top.

Click the picture for a larger shot, with more detail.

In those days all such material was produced by local joiners in Loughborough to order, and the lettering and logos were hand-painted. For those who remember, the large LB sign at Loughborough station was not supplied by the company. The range of sizes went from tiny window stands made of plywood which displayed just one new title, up to much more robust units such as the one seen here which held stocks of the full range. One suspects that this picture was taken at a wholesale stockists of some sort, judging by the "For extra sales..." notice visible top right, and the sheer quantities of the novels piled up in the foreground (far more of any one title than any bookshop would carry).

We estimate the picture was taken circa 1956, as the range includes only one "history title" (top right), and just the first three "nature" series bird books. Otherwise the top shelf carries five of the rare "Tasseltip tales", shelf two has some of the "animal stories", and shelf three the "nursery rhymes" range. The Uncle Mac books are on the fourth shelf (and seem to have found a buyer!), while the "rhyming stories" range fills up the next two shelves. The "bible stories" are relegated to the lower part of the display. A fabulous picture which will nevertheless frustrate any collectors still searching for those elusive early books! One wonders what new titles the gentleman in the military blazer is delivering.