HOSPITAL CORRIDORS
First edition of the contemporary romance novel that led to Mills & Boon's historic collaboration with Harlequin.
Near fine in very good jacket.
Price: $2,000.00
HOSPITAL CORRIDORS
"Together we'll watch the sunrise in the Rockies"
Since its inception in 1949, Harlequin functioned as a reprint publisher, looking for hardcover titles to issue in mass market paperback form. However, these titles were not limited to romance; they included adventures, mysteries and thrillers, and sleaze. The move to focus on romances began after Harlequin's Ruth Palmour noticed that their romance reprints tended to sell better than other titles in their annual lists, and began seeking more sources for this material. In the early years, the chosen titles were all medical romances, as per Harlequin de facto editor Mary Bonnycastle's preference. Paul Grescoe notes that nearly a third of Harlequin's 1955 list was composed of medical romances by the American author Lucy Agnes Hancock: they needed to expand their stable.
HOSPITAL CORRIDORS, set in Montreal, was the first book requested by Palmour when she wrote the fateful letter suggesting the partnership in 1957. Mary Burchell, the pen name of Ida Cook, was one of Mills & Boon's most popular writers and a major force in the direction of their romances, known for her "down-to-earth" settings featuring everyday women. Burchell was herself from a lower-middle class background, with a background in journalism. She used the proceeds from her exceptional success as a romance writer to fund trips with her sister to Europe before World War II broke out, helping Jewish refugees escape Germany under the guise of opera-obsessed tourists (which, to be fair, they also were).
Mills & Boon hardcovers were largely aimed at the library market in this era; jacketed copies without library markings (as here) are therefore scarce. OCLC finds no holdings in US institutions. A major moment in romance history, not only tipping the scales of Harlequin's catalogue towards the genre it would come to dominate, but also inaugurating an epochal partnership in mass market publishing.
Read more: Grescoe, Merchants of Venus.
The Object
London: Mills & Boon, (1955). 7.25'' x 4.75''. Original brown paper boards stamped in black. In original price-clipped color pictorial dust jacket. Publisher's ads at rear. 191, [1] pages. Moderate edgewear to jacket, light toning to spine. Ink gift inscription dated 1956 to front free endpaper. Bright.
The Fine Print
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Ground Advantage. International orders over $1000 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.




