Obscure Book of the Day: A Pictorial Biography of Her Majesty Queen Mary

Here’s another Pitkin Guide!  Hooray!  This one is called “A Pictorial History of Her Majesty Queen Mary.”  And, that’s really exactly what it is.  Like all Pitkin books of the era, this one has no date of publication, but it was obviously published during Queen Mary’s lifetime, so before 1953.  Judging by the images, now-Queen, then-Princess Elizabeth had already married and given birth to Prince Charles, so this book dates between 1948 and 1953.

The forward, “The Story of a Great and Gracious Lady” was written by Marguerite D. Peacock, a frequent contributor to these Pitkin Guides.

Let’s take a look inside…

Queen Mary, first as The Duchess of York with her first son, David--the Great Keruffler--and, finally with her grandson, Prince Charles.

Princess Mary of Teck

Princess May was a beloved figure throughout Britain.

After her marriage, Mary was created Duchess of York.

At the Delhi Durbar with King George V--declared Emperor and Empress of India.

Ready to be Queen.  Wearing the famed Cambridge Emeralds.

Queen Mary was a great source of national morale during the Great War.

Centerfold.

Her final meeting with her disappointing eldest child, David.  After the Abdication Kerfuffle, Mary did not see her son for many years.  The Duke of Windsor had one final visit with his mother before her death. Jerk.

If you love Queen Mary as much as I do, you might enjoy our exclusive “Teck Support” designs which are available only at our online store.  Or, if you want to rub the late Duke of Windsor’s abdicating nose in it, the Abdication Kerfuffle ™ designs will be just the thing.

Obscure Book of the Day: Britain’s Kings and Queens

Published in 1998, this book, “Britain’s Kings and Queens” shows that the Pitkin Publishing Company has maintained the high standards of their publications. This guide is just as thoughtfully researched, written and illustrated as the Pitkin guides that we’ve looked at from the 1950s and 1960s.

This book presents a detailed history of Britain’s Kings and Queens from Alfred the Great (r. 871-899) to Elizabeth II (r. 1952-present). Almost eleven hundred years of royal history is concisely and accurately described and grandly illustrated with historic paintings and photos.

Written by Michael St. John Parker, the book manages to pack all of the pertinent information about each monarch into a series of brilliantly crafted biographies. Let’s take a look inside…

Obscure Book of the Day: Queen Mary Pitkin Guide

Yes, another book about Queen Mary. I can’t help myself—I like her. This is, obviously, a Pitkin Guide. It was published around 1951, I’m guessing. It certainly was published before the deaths of King George VI and Queen Mary.


The book, like all Pitkin guides of the era, chronicles through photographs, the life of Queen Mary from her youth as “Princess May” to her marriage to King George V, and finally to her role as beloved grandmother and inspiration for Britain.

Let’s take a look inside.