Harleyford books…

Thanks AgCat.

See the ‘On The Wire’ link in Mark Miller’s post – all is revealed.

I’ve also got a Spitfire book by Harborough publishing from 1946 by J W R Taylor and Maurice F Allward. Their logo was a flying horse. What happened to them?

In1973 Ron Moulton of MAP asked me to update the ‘Census of Surviving Spitfires’ in their about to be reprinted ‘Spitfire -Story of a famous Fighter’ by Bruce Robertson.

I raised the 1960 first edition number of about 80, up to 125 of so.

Currently it is nearer twice that if you include projects with potential…and who knows what might turn up this year. 😉

Mark

I hadn’t realised until this thread that my copy of “Spitfire…” was an MAP reprint. I’m not sure I even consciously knew they owned Harleyford.
As it was bought around 1980 from the DH Museum, it had to be a reprint.
My “Lancaster…” is an original though – charity shop about 5 years ago.

I haven’t looked at Mark’s link yet so this is probably old knowledge now.

D.A. Russell was the publisher and/or editor of Model Aircraft magazine in the 50s and 60s. IIRC, it was then incorporated into AeroModeller which is presumably when the Harleyford brand came into the MAP range.

Fascinating – thanks for providing the links Mark.

Tim

To learn still more of D.A. Russell’s activities, or simply for a wallow in aeromodelling and publishing nostalgia, see this excellent compilation: http://www.onthewire.co.uk/bray.htm

Note that there are four ‘page’ tabs to click through.

Shirley’s own website is at: http://www.harleyfordart.co.uk/

Excellent news – thanks. Will look out for them!

Shirley Russell -his daughter now has her own business selling cards etc using the lovely Harleyford artwork -they sell very well at the Museum -she is a lovely lady! TT

Yes Mike Russell was the son of D.A.Russell. Mike was part of the Harleyford publishers. The Russavia logo was the same as the later Harleyford logo, a flying horse.

Dave

Mr D A Russell was, I believe, father of Capt M C Russell – Mike Russell of Russavia. Glider enthusiast, airline pilot and main man behind Duxford’s pleasure flying service during the 80s. He passed away a few years ago as well.

The background story to Harleyford Publications was covered in an article in “Flight” back in the 1960s. I found them a very helpful and highly professional group of people. Somewhere I still have a detailed letter from Bruce Robertson. He took the trouble to answer individual queries related to his area of expertise; he commented on some WW1 aircraft manufacturing material I had inherited.

The leading light of Harleyford was Mr. D.A.Russell who was Editor & Publisher. He had done the same at Aeromodeller since 1934. It seems he named Harleyford after the place where he lived (a cottage in the grounds of Harleyford Manor).

Here is a link to the “Flight” article:

https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1961/1961%20-%201670.PDF

Tim

hi,
a great pity, I really enjoyed their books, the Spitfire one was my first …

thanks for your replies, regards,

jack…

Just jogged my memory, I’ve got a “Scale Models” mag by Model and Allied publications from 1968, which I got as a schoolboy, with an article on the Spitfires used in the “Battle of Britain” film done by Mark12.

The update and the reprint of ‘Spitfire – Story of a famous fighter’ in 1973 was by Model and Allied Publications of Hemel Hempstead.

The implication being that they then owned the former ‘Harleyford Publication’ titles.

Mark

Bruce Robertson was closely associated and sadly he died a good few years ago: possibly the two are related, though I can’t recall anything new from Harleyford since the 1970s.