Eileen Soper's Famous Five - End-papers

[pete9012S]

I'm always banging on about the marvellous Betty Maxey, but today lets focus on the sumptuous end paper scans provided by Eileen Soper in the original Famous Five books.

All these excellent images are courtesy of Mr.Tony Summerfield and I'm sure you will agree as you peruse them that Eileen Soper's Famous Five endpapers are quite special.

See all the endpapers here:

https://imgur.com/a/dWgrmXS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


One book did not have endpapers - do you know which book, and why that was?

[Anita Bensoussane]

Very dramatic. I particularly like the endpapers for Five Get Into Trouble, Five Go Off in a Caravan (the revised endpapers featuring the lake), Five on a Treasure Island and Five Go Down to the Sea. They do a great job of setting the scene and whetting the appetite.

I remember a discussion from before about which book didn't have specially-drawn endpapers, but I won't say anything in case people who missed the earlier posts want to work it out for themselves.

[Rob Houghton]

One book did not have endpapers - do you know which book, and why that was?

That's interesting. I'm presuming you mean a first edition, as eventually, all Famous Five books had illustrated end-papers. Unless you mean Five Have A Mystery To Solve, which just had reprints of internal illustrations as end-papers...

My favourite end-paper designs are for Five Get Into Trouble, Five On A Hike Together, Five Go Off In A Caravan (I prefer the later edition version) and Five Go To Mystery Moor - but I like all of them really, except the last two, which were black and white.

Some end-papers altered - like Five Go Off In A Caravan -





I find the different colours of the end-papers interesting. I like some better than others. For example, Five On A Hike Together - the first edition is shown in the cave with an orange end paper illustration - but some later editions had it in blue. I much prefer the orange version - which I have in a third impression.

Then there are the end papers for Five Go Adventuring Again - they are dark blue in later editions, but I prefer the salmon pink version in my seventh impression. Some of these are also grey/blue.

In the 1960's the end papers became black and white, before eventually disappearing altogether.

[Jack400]

I'm always banging on about the marvellous Betty Maxey, but today lets focus on the sumptuous end paper scans provided by Eileen Soper in the original Famous Five books.

The illustration that you gave (FGOTC) is actually my favourite. I remember, many years ago, studying the picture intently.

[pete9012S]

Phew! That's great news Jack.

I was hoping this thread did not result in a barrage of negative posts from the legions of Betty Maxey fanciers that frequent these forums!

[Rob Houghton]

This is also one of my favourites - From 'Go Down To the Sea'



and this one from 'Fall Into Adventure' -

[Rob Houghton]

I'm curious to know which Famous Five didn't have end-papers. I must have missed the thread where this was discussed previously.

I know Five On A Treasure Island didn't...but I thought the first few books didn't -- so I'm quite puzzled!

[pete9012S]

That's strange Rob, as you answered the question yourself in one of your earlier posts on this thread!

[Rob Houghton]

Lol - okay...I'm probably misinterpreting 'no end-papers'.

[pete9012S]

I don't know if you'd agree Rob, but the last endpaper Eileen Soper provided looks a little tired compared to the vibrant earlier ones?

[Rob Houghton]

Definitely agree there, Pete! Its very lacklustre and not very dramatic either!

[StephenC]

The endpaper for FATA is like the rest of the book - mediocre and forgettable! What a sad end to a great series! On a brighter note, some of the endpapers are superb, especially Go Down To The Sea and Mystery Moor, the 2 back to back classics of the series!

[Nick]

I’d not really paid that much attention to the end papers in the past but this thread has allowed me to have a good look at them.

My favourites are a Five Go Off to Camp & Five Go Down to the Sea. I love how Camp captures the loneliness of the goods yard on the Moors. Wooden-Leg Sam would have been very isolated in his little hut there, I’d quite like to stay there for a few nights!

I quite like Five on Kirin Island Again as well, you can almost feel the wind and rain buffeting the Five as the walk on the cliffs.

[Rob Houghton]

I think I prefer the light blue/grey version -




I love the orange version of 'Hike' - but its also printed in bright blue, which I'm not so keen on -




I also prefer this one from 'Adventuring Again' rather than the later blue version -

[Nick]

Does anyone know if these have ever been published in colour?

I’m sure I saw a modern version of classic Hike in colour a few years back but have not been able to find one since?