What Is a Yellow Back Book?
- Yellowback books were sold in railway stations in 19th century Britain.railway station image by Valeri Vlassov from Fotolia.com
In 19th century Britain, the railway was a universal means of travel. Like today's magazines sold by station kiosks, Yellowback books were an inexpensive commodity for travelers. They were sold in W.H. Smith bookstalls in the railway stations for one to two shillings apiece. Yellowback books saw their peak from 1850-1900, increasing literacy and creating a demand for affordable reading material. Although mostly light reading and works of fiction, Yellowback books spanned many genres, including non-fiction, literary classics, humor, natural history and spiritualism, as well as catering to tastes in parlor games and hobbies. In the early 19th century, most established publishers had a hand in publishing Yellowback books. After 1900, Yellowback books saw their popularity fade, although publishing continued into the 1920s. - The unique cover style was developed by Edmund Evans, a wood engraver, who used a glazed, yellow paper as the background for a distinctive illustration. The eye-catching yellow cover garnered the nickname, Yellowback. These books were generally perceived as, "a sensational novel with a lurid cover," according to an exhibition at Monash University Library. Yellowbacks made an impression on the publishing industry in 19th century Britain with a cover and a style that was instantly recognizable.
- Other than a strikingly visual cover, Yellowback books were also known for the advertisements which comprised the back cover. Advertisements covered the cost of printing. Ads marketed popular products of Victorian Britain such as Cadbury's cocoa, Pears soap and the Carbolic Smoke Ball, which created a controversy when it claimed to positively ward off colds. Many Yellowback books also contained advertisements inside, on pages bound into the back of the book.
- George Routledge is considered the most famous Yellowback publisher. His "Railway Library" series consisted of 1,200 books, published from 1848 to 1899. Using the word "library" in the title was a common marketing tool of publishers in the early 19th century, as it encouraged readers to buy the full series to create their own library. Ward & Lock was another major publisher of the day. In the 1920s, Chatto & Windus continued to publish Yellowback books, although popularity had dwindled. Writers gained much success and popularity from Yellowback books, as they were able to reach mass audiences. The likes of Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, James Grant and Anthony Trollope were all published in Yellowback.
- Today, Yellowback books are a collector's item, although they are rare. Because paperback books easily disintegrate and become weathered, Yellowbacks can be purchased today at surprisingly affordable prices, but it's difficult to find a copy that is unused and fully intact.
