In 1984 I interviewed Geoffrey Smith of the printing firm of W.S.Cowell's of Ipswich. He had long since retired as CEO and was living in his farm in Suffolk. Cowell's had established a considerable reputation as an initiator of fine mass-produced lithographic illustrated books for children and I wanted to find out about how a company, first associated in the nineteenth century with the printing of lottery tickets, had come to be associated with School Prints, Orlando the Cat and Puffin Picture Books. I had read in several publications that the artist had drawn directly on the plate, and that this plate was sometimes referred to as 'Plastocowell'. The notes beneath are largely from memory. I am grateful for any corrections you can suggest in matters of fact. The examples I have chosen are from my own collection. I have divided the titles under into seven headings, each of which seemed to generate different opportunities for the artist and designer. In his shaping of the product, it was said that Allen Lane was influenced by cheap, mass-produced books for children from the Soviet Union. I attach four examples for your consideration.

I have tried to show the overall cover concept, and one interior page spread, 17.5 x 22cms for each single page. The editorial layout permits catalogues of images and deployments of text, but also, in the centre spread of each book, a rare opportunity to make some panoramic visual statement on the book's subject matter. Covers were mainly in a card slightly heavier than the paper, but on occasions, the book was given much stiffer card as a cover. The illustrators were uniformly skilled and innovatory. This collection is intended as a celebration of their skills and dedication in the service of information for children.

Some time before my interview, I had discovered from a local book dealer that much of the Cowell's archive had been put in skips and burnt, not even sold to the antiquarian trade. I understood that a Visitor's Book with art work, signatures and much historical interest had gone into the flames. The literature about mass produced picture books for children, and the role that lithography played is however well documented, not least in the Penrose Annual.