THE SCHOOLGIRLS' OWN ANNUALS

by SYLVIA REED

These superb, beautifully illustrated annuals were published by The Amalgamated Press, the years 1923 until 1941. The page content of these annuals were approximately 224. .  The paper used in these annuals is very smooth, and pleasing to touch. It is important that people of today know what people of yesterday read, especially children.  The illustrations are extremely superb.  A lot of the illustrators are, however, unknown, which is a shame.  Whether it was their intent to remain anonymous is unknown.

The 1923 annual is featured here.  This is the first Annual in the series of SGOL Annuals.

The Schoolgirls’ Own Annual 1923

The cover of this Annual was by A E Bestall.  I have included an inscription in this Annual Inscriptions intrigue me, I wonder what Ena’s and Auntie Ciss’s lives were like?   Were they fair haired or dark haired, tall or short, where did they live?  Where did Ena go to school, and what age was she when she left? Was Ena addicted to Morcove School?  What made Auntie Ciss buy this particular Annual for Ena? 

This Annual features both Cliff House and Morcove Schools.  It is noted that the original Cliff House School badge is featured. 

Some illustrations are signed by the artist, others are unknown.  In the featured annual here, artists were A E Bestall, E.V.A., G M Dodshon, W Tayler.  G M Dodshon is the illustrator of the Cliff House stories.  Presumably, the illustrator of the Morcove story is Leonard Shields.  They seem to be of his style.

There is no contents page in this Annual.  However, there is a letter from The Editor:  (This letter is set out similar to how  it appeared in the Annual.  It goes to show how the style of setting out and punctuation etc has changed over the years)

The Fleetway House,

Farringdon Street,

London, E.C.4.

MY  DEAR  GIRLS,

I place before you the first volume of the “ SCHOOLGIRLS’

OWN  ANNUAL “ with the feeling that it will satisfy a long-felt want.

From the day the “ SCHOOL  FRIEND “ made its appearance, in May,

1919, I have received thousands of letters from schoolgirls requesting me to

issue an annual publication.  Well, here it is.  I trust every one of you

will spend many, many pleasant hours perusing its contents, that you will

find a space for the volume on your bookshelf, and that you will leave a

still larger space for volumes to come.

In this, the first volume of the “ SCHOOLGIRLS’  OWN

ANNUAL, “ I have striven to make the contents as varied as possible.

There are stories of all types, stories that deal with the various phases of

young girl life; there are articles on subjects that I know are dear to all

schoolgirls, and there are verses and other features that cannot fail to

appeal to every one of you.

Some time must, of course, elapse before you can read the contents

Of this volume, but when you have done so, I should esteem it a great

Favour if you would write and tell me your opinion of the “ SCHOOL-

GIRLS’  OWN  ANNUAL.”  Let me know which is your favourite story,

Which article you like best-in fact, give me a candid criticism of every-

thing in the volume.

Yours sincerely,

THE  EDITOR

The first story of this Annual is a Cliff House story, Mystery Mansion, by Hilda Richards.  Barbara Redfern and Co were performing at a Musical Festival, and included in this activity is a two day holiday.  They get stranded in bad weather, and have to seek shelter.  Marcia Loftus and her crony Nancy Bell are their usual nasty selves in this story!  G M Dodshon’s illustration of their mode of transport (Charabanc) is very interesting indeed, and is a little bit of social history in itself!

The Guides of Peach Hollow by Mildred Gordon is a Girl Guide story.  Madge Burton is the daughter of John Burton, a Cobbler, who lost a leg during World War 1.  He also lost his wife at a young age.  These circumstances put huge pressure on Madge, who manages to keep their cottage going, go to school and also be a Girl Guide.  The Guiding movement is very popular during the 1920’s. Some of the aims of the Guide movement is to teach girls to help others, and also to be self sufficient.  This, Madge certainly is. Madge, unknown to everyone except one girl, saves the life of an extremely wealthy girl.  What happens after that, and the involvement of the girl who witnesses the rescue, but takes all the glory, is a good story, involving Made enduring heartbreak and ostracism.  However, truth and integrity are the winners in the end.   The colour plate shown here shows intense patriotism, and the fashions of the day.  Frank Wright is the illustrator of this splendid picture.

With the Guides  by “Guide Captain” continues the strong Guiding theme of the Annual.  This article featured several badges that Guides of 1923 could earn.  Some of the badges of 1923 were:

The Clerk’s Badge

The Dairymaid’s Badge

The Child Nurse Badge

The Boatswain’s Badge

The Ambulance Badge

The Sportswoman’s Badge

The Cyclist’s Badge

The Basket-Worker’s Badge

and

The First Class Guide

Insert scan SGOL Annual 1923

Cliff House School articles

One is a poem by Clara Trevlyn.  Of course, the ‘real’ author is unknown.  There is such a lot of detail and artwork in this Annual, as shown here.

Another is by girls of various Forms, telling stories of where they went for the Summer holidays:.

Helen Henley, Frances Barrett, Connie Jackson, Violet Cutter (Sixth Form) went to Jersey.

Priscilla Pacey and her friends Beatrice (Bunny) Barlow and Teddy Bear (What was her real name?) (Second Form) take a house-boat on the Norfolk Broads.

Angelica Jelly (Fifth Form) goes on a caravan holiday with Flora Cann and Grace Woodfield.

Freda Foote (Fourth Form) along with Gwen Cook, Clara Trevlyn, Flap Derwent, Agnes White and Bessie Bunter spend some time on the Hutchins’ farm.

This particular article is interesting, because it mentions girls who are seldom mentioned in later Cliff House stories.

The Island of Adventure by Julia Storm, (What is known about Julia Storm?) is a story about a group of women and girls and their mistresses aboard an Australian liner named Utopia.  The vessel is en-route from London to Brisbane, and it also has a huge cargo destined for several ports in Australia.

This story is interesting, as it has a very strong nautical theme – almost a lesson in itself with descriptions of ships, their cargo, the necessary paper work that accompanies cargo.  It deals with the themes of the day, but it also unwittingly refers to references to current issues, like the transporting of asbestos roofing, which is part of the Utopia’s cargo. This roofing is eventually bound for a large sugar plantation in far north Queensland.  Of course, nowadays asbestos is a major contentious issue health wise.  The story also shows how resourceful the characters are when faced with hardship, even the weaker willed ones who have previously ‘played on their own weaknesses’ have ‘come to the party’ in the end.

One of the women is in fact to take up the Headmistress-ship of an exclusive school for girls in Australia, and for one reason or another, the girls are also due to attend the same school. 

Utopia is ambushed by a pirate cruiser somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, about 3,300 miles from Brisbane.  However, when the pirates realise the passengers are women and girls, they decide to leave them alone.  Then, more catastrophe when the liner is hit by a hurricane, thrown off course, and becomes grounded amongst coral atolls.  The girls, together with the mistresses, leave the ship (After it is discovered that the ship and cargo are completely unharmed) and land on an island, where they make temporary quarters.  Naturally enough, they also begin to explore the island, and end up befriending a native girl named Melaita.  The higlight of their sojourn on Diamond Island, as they decide to call it, is the discovery of a galleon in a huge cave.  At one time, the cave was at sea level, but because of a series of earthquakes and subsequent movement of the earth, the headland ended up above sea level, so entrapping the galleon.  This galleon has a treasure trove, which of course, the girls unearth.  At about this time, another pirate ship comes along, this time the crew are not prepared to leave the Utopia alone.  They try to storm aboard.  However, fate intervenes at the last minute, and the Utopia, her crew, cargo and the precious treasure trove are saved.  The British Navy, captained by one of the girls’ fathers, comes along right in the nick of time.  Thus, this story ends well.

Insert scan SGOL Annual 011, 001a

The Girl Who Kept to Herself  by Marjorie Stanton is about the girls of Morcove School.  As previously mentioned, the illustrations seem to be by Leonard Shields.  They have his style, especially the flashing eyes of the girls.  Hilda Flone is a new girl to Morcove this Winter term.  She is put into the Fourth Form, and placed under Betty Barton’s care.  There seems to be a bit of mystery about Hilda Flone, in which Polly Linton seems to be involved, unknown to Polly herself.  Hilda prefers to be by herself, showing a preference to be put in a single study.  At the same time, Hilda shows herself to be a brilliant pianist, extremely clever in the classroom, and is also an exceedingly pretty, well bred girl.  Why then, the mystery?  The usual lessons, and camaraderie between the girls, proceed throughout this story.  Paula is absolutely brilliant!  Games of hockey are played, there is skating on a lake in the moorland about a mile from Morcove, and then the sensational story gradually unfolds.  True to style, Hilda eventually finds herself one of the most popular girls in the Fourth at Morcove School.