Book Steward

One of the series of books I collect is those concerning the feline
detective Mr. Twink by the children's author Freda Mary Hurt, written
between 1953 and 1962. These were published by the Epworth Press in
Britain, and a note on the title pages reads "Book Steward Frank H.
Cumbers". I'd like to understand the role of the book steward, but
google doesn't seem to turn up anything relevant.

The last two titles in C. S. Lewis's Narnia series were published by
John Lane at The Bodley Head in 1955 and 1956. Was this a similar
example of the role, and what precisely is it? Does it survive?

Matti

On Sep 22, 5:17 am, "Matti Lamprhey" ma...@official-totally-
reversed.com wrote:
One of the series of books I collect is those concerning the feline
detective Mr. Twink by the children's author Freda Mary Hurt, written
between 1953 and 1962. These were published by the Epworth Press in
Britain, and a note on the title pages reads "Book Steward Frank H.
Cumbers". I'd like to understand the role of the book steward, but
google doesn't seem to turn up anything relevant.

The last two titles in C. S. Lewis's Narnia series were published by
John Lane at The Bodley Head in 1955 and 1956. Was this a similar
example of the role, and what precisely is it? Does it survive?

John Lane died in 1925, so I doubt he had any "stewardship" role with
respect to the Narnia books. He was the founder of the Bodley Head
(publishers of, among other things, the *Yellow Book*), which
sometimes used "John Lane at The Bodley Head" as its imprint.

Can't help you with Frank H. Cumbers.

RPN

On Sep 22, 6:17 am, "Matti Lamprhey" ma...@official-totally-
reversed.com wrote:
One of the series of books I collect is those concerning the feline
detective Mr. Twink by the children's author Freda Mary Hurt, written
between 1953 and 1962.

Twink (gay slang), a young or young-looking male homosexual.

"RF" wrote...
"Matti Lamprhey" wrote:
One of the series of books I collect is those concerning the feline
detective Mr. Twink by the children's author Freda Mary Hurt, written
between 1953 and 1962.

Twink (gay slang), a young or young-looking male homosexual.

Which is a bit of a nuisance when googling for these books. Can't you
Americans stop interfering with the language in this thoughtless manner?

Matti

"RF" wrote in message
oups.com...

Twink (gay slang), a young or young-looking male homosexual.

Are you quite sure? J.R. Ackerley seems to suggest this
was the word for a respectable man of means who liked to
pick up guardsmen in Hyde Park.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

On Sep 23, 7:53 am, "Don Phillipson"
wrote:
"RF" wrote in message

oups.com...

Twink (gay slang), a young or young-looking male homosexual.

Are you quite sure? J.R. Ackerley seems to suggest this
was the word for a respectable man of means who liked to
pick up guardsmen in Hyde Park.

Perhaps like many other words, British usage differs from American.

On Sep 22, 6:17 am, "Matti Lamprhey" ma...@official-totally-
reversed.com wrote and I snipped:
One of the series of books I collect is those concerning the feline
detective Mr. Twink by the children's author Freda Mary Hurt, written
between 1953 and 1962. These were published by the Epworth Press in
Britain, and a note on the title pages reads "Book Steward Frank H.
Cumbers". I'd like to understand the role of the book steward, but
google doesn't seem to turn up anything relevant...

Matti,

In the early 1800s, religous organizations appointed book stewards to
manage the publishing interests of the Church. In most religious
publishing houses, the book steward acted as the general manager, and
sometimes as the editor. Some religious publishing houses even used
the name of its book steward as an imprint of sorts.

Frank Henry Cumbers was the book steward of the Epworth Press, and his
name is included on most books the Epworth Press published. For more
information on Cumbers and book stewards of religious publishing
houses, you should read Cumbers' book, "The Book Room: The Story of
the Methodist Publishing House and the Epworth Press," London, 1956.

As an added note, you can find more biblio-related information if you
perform searches at books.google.com than at googe.com.

best,
Jerry Morris

In article ,
"Don Phillipson" wrote:

"RF" wrote in message
oups.com...

Twink (gay slang), a young or young-looking male homosexual.

Are you quite sure? J.R. Ackerley seems to suggest this
was the word for a respectable man of means who liked to
pick up guardsmen in Hyde Park.

As a (certainly not young) gay man, I can verify Bob's assertion. A
twink is a very young gay man, usually 18 - 25 or thereabouts. There's
often a somewhat negative connotation associated with its use (ie,
stupid & flightly).

--
Scot Kamins
Maintaining the Modern Library collectors website
at http://www.ModernLib.com

In article ,
"Bill Spock" wrote:

I'm American and never even heard of that word before. But it does sound
like a word that some British sissy would invent.

More like an American sissy. I remember researching the origins of this
word, but I can't remember much of what I learned. It was long ago -- I
was a twink at the time.

--
Scot Kamins
Maintaining the Modern Library collectors website
at http://www.ModernLib.com

wrote...
"Matti Lamprhey" wrote and I
snipped:
One of the series of books I collect is those concerning the feline
detective Mr. Twink by the children's author Freda Mary Hurt, written
between 1953 and 1962. These were published by the Epworth Press in
Britain, and a note on the title pages reads "Book Steward Frank H.
Cumbers". I'd like to understand the role of the book steward, but
google doesn't seem to turn up anything relevant...

Matti,

In the early 1800s, religous organizations appointed book stewards to
manage the publishing interests of the Church. In most religious
publishing houses, the book steward acted as the general manager, and
sometimes as the editor. Some religious publishing houses even used
the name of its book steward as an imprint of sorts.

Frank Henry Cumbers was the book steward of the Epworth Press, and his
name is included on most books the Epworth Press published. For more
information on Cumbers and book stewards of religious publishing
houses, you should read Cumbers' book, "The Book Room: The Story of
the Methodist Publishing House and the Epworth Press," London, 1956.

As an added note, you can find more biblio-related information if you
perform searches at books.google.com than at googe.com.

best,
Jerry Morris

Many thanks for that, Jerry. I found a mention of "The Book Room" this
morning, in fact, and several copies available on ABE, so I shall buy
one and learn. I can't afford the signed copy on Amazon, unfortunately!

Matti