E. Haldeman-Julius Printing Plates

Back Story

Emanuel Haldeman-Julius, a noted publisher produced between 300 and 500 million of the Little Blue Books between 1919 and 1978 as a way to educate the working class. When they began, a hardback book, which typically cost half a worker’s daily wage, was hard to come by. Paperbacks and bookstores didn’t yet exist. Libraries were rare.

Little Blue Books put stories, both non-fiction and fiction, into the hands of many for little. In nearly 2,000 different titles, they were printed on cheap pulp paper and sold for 5 to 10 cents each in heavily frequented places like drug stores and train stations, and by mail order.

They covered a wide array of topics, some seemingly racy at the time: “What Married Women Should Know” and “How to Get a Divorce.” Others were more to the point: “Africa -- It’s Place in Modern History” by W.E. Burghardt Du Bois and “Insects and Men: Instincts and Reason,” by Clarence S. Darrow.

Following World War II, J. Edgar Hoover added Haldeman-Julius to the FBI’s enemies list. In 1951, Haldeman-Julius was convicted of tax evasion. A month later, he was found dead in his swimming pool, having drowned.

His company continued to print the books until 1978, when the printing plant and warehouse were destroyed by fire.

Today, a copy of each Little Blue Book is housed in Special Collections at the university’s Axe Library, along with historical records about Haldeman-Julius and metal plates used to print many of the books.

Collections of the series also are housed at Kent State University, Bowling Green State University, and California State University-Northridge.

Call to Action

It was when student intern Angel Abshire (Graphic Communications) began evaluating the printing plates for Pittsburg State's University Archivist Sara DeCaro, the project began. The plates were used consistently to produce over 300 million books, then left in their wrappings in a warehouse after the death of Emanuel Haldeman-Julius. They survived the burning of the facility and a move to a basement before finally arriving at Pittsburg State University in 2002. Unfortunately, the early hard use had taken its toll. The plates were examined in 2024. The paper wrappings and cushioning pads placed between the plates had developed mold, adhering fiber and funk to the plates. After research and conferring with printing industry experts, a plan was created to clean the plates. Unfortunately, repair is not an option once the metal’s make up is changed.