Every now and again a bookseller comes along who is so embedded in their specialism and so dedicated and puts in so many years that they their catalogues make a significant contribution to the field. You could say that, I'm sure, about G. F. Sims for example in his career-long pursuit of all things 1890s. And in the field of School Fiction there has only been one name: Robert J Kirkpatrick. For over a quarter of a century Kirkpatrick issued catalogues identified by which term and which year they came out, finally tucking away his cataloguer's pen in 2012. On the front of every catalogue, an illustration from of the books in that list. I have recently catalogued a long run of the catalogues! And that means that you get to see a small selection of the cover illustrations.
So, from top to bottom, we have here illustrations from Jennings in Particular by Anthony Buckeridge, Tom Brown's Schooldays by Thomas Hughes, Major Monk's Motto by Rev. Frederick Langbridge, Parkhurst Sketches by Talbot Baines Reed, Who was the Culprit? by Jennie Chappell and Dorrincourt by Front Free Endpaper Favourite, Bernard Heldmann
