ETA 31 May 2009 10EST: Harlequin’s blog has been sending folks over to see the review and the swag contest, so to give those folks a chance, I’m re-opening the contest for another 24 hours. This time, there will be TWO bags, so two winners will take home a big bucket o’swag. Ready set go!
This afternoon I went to the press premiere of the Harlequin cover art gallery display, better known as “The Heart of a Woman: Harlequin Cover Art 1949 - 2009. The show opens tonight and runs through 12 June, and is open for folks to see at the Openhouse Gallery, 201 Mulberry Street in SoHo.
The Curator of the exhibit, Elizabeth Semmelhack, was kind enough to take me on a brief tour of some of her favorite parts of the exhibit. Bullet points ahoy!
- Elizabeth’s favorite part of the exhibit is “The Lure of the Exotic” - but to understand why that’s her favorite section, you have to see the section leading up to it.
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Commenting is disabled, kids. Read the existing comments
That swag looks seriously awesome. I’m pretty sure my mom had this book when I was little, but the way the lighthouse is pressing into the *cough* softness of the sky escaped me… thank god. :D
Let me preface my comment in all honesty: I’ve been the lucky recipient of two gifts from you guys in recent months. So please count me out as a contender for the swag.
Having said that, the swag is simply eye-popping WOW!! Hope they either do a sale of the items as a whole or have an item or two at RWA as giveaways.
I have the 100-year cover book by Mills & Boon, so I had an idea that Harlequin would be putting on a tasteful show, but this exceeds my expectations. Very well done, indeed!
Sarah, is this going to be a traveling art show, covering major cities in the U.S. and Toronto?
I loved the lighthouse cover too! Thanks so much, SB Sarah, for tweeting and posting these. The gallery looks gorgeous, and the displays awesome.
It’s nice to be able to celebrate covers with both praise and snark. So many all at once = extra awesome goodness.
I found the slide show very intriguing- I am amazes at how much work, thought and study study Elizabeth put into this exhibit- it must have been fascinating - I love that kind of background and history about evolving ideas, perceptions, social, economic and
gender roles - even just the fashion, the uniforms, the business suits of women - all that is so interesting- you were so lucky to be there- and I probably wouldn’t give up the swag bag as easily as you’re offering to- thanks so much for thinking of your readers and taking pictures for our enjoyment!
my apologies for all the mis-spellings and odd sentences- when I was posting I could only read half of what I was writing-
Swag? Schwing! sign me up!
As someone who still owns a lot of old Harlequins, I love the covers on these books. Sometimes they are so bad they are good.
Great pictures!
The swag looks awesome, but I am really jealous of the exhibit - I am finishing up my thesis on the return to the domestic sphere after WWII, and I would love to look at the covers from that era!
swag swag delicious swag
present97: no, really, i don’t need *97*... one would do…
Oh mygoodness I love vintage romance covers soooooo much.
The doctor/nurse romance covers (especially the “lure of the exotic” ones) remind me of old school Cherry Ames.
Is that a romance cover calendar? Because if it is…. I need to find myself one.
What a fascinating exhibit! Any idea if it’s travelling? I’d love to take a look at it in person - it looks like an engrossing exhibition, not to mention well-researched and presented. I’d never thought about cover art reflecting society - must put on my analytical hat more often.
Coolest blog swag I’ve ever seen! I’d love to win.
Thanks for the tour of the exhibit too.
Swag? Sign me up.
I’m actually going to be in NYC, twice, in the next week but I’ll only be passing through and I won’t have time to go see the exhibit. It’s totally killing me because it looks awesome.
Wow, awesome swag! Please pick me!
SB Sarah, thanks for posting the photos. I love the giant Fabio cover.
Oooo. Swag! I’m in.
Two give aways ago I was the comment before the winner, the last give away I was the comment after the winner. This time I should be just right.
The exhibition looks totally cool. I wish I could go and see it. Thanks so much for sharing it with the rest of it.
I’d love to be in for the swag, but understand if you don’t want to post overseas.
This sounds so cool! I’ll definitely be seeing the show this weekend. I bet this was a really fun exhibit to work on as a curator.
my verification words are youre26—not true, but how flattering!
I’ll never win swag when I post to make a correction. Sarah - it is not a Mountie being attacked by gas-mask man… Red Serge, but wearing a bearskin hat - not the Dudley Do-Right Mountie Hat. Looks like it’s a Royal Guard of some sort in England - judging by the sketch below.
Swag aye, an it please ye, my pretties.
Arrr.
Going back from pirate mode into medieval now. Not sure what hit me.
It’s swag of course I’m in! lol :D So jealous, I want to go see this… any Floridians wanting a road trip?
The clip of the cover photo shoot in process was interesting it looked like the models/couple were getting it on at a local high school av room…maybe they were…
Such cool old covers, I would love the SWAG!! Thanks for the chance.
So cool! I wish I was in NYC so I could see the exhibit in person. Thanks so much for sharing the pictures.
I followed this showing on Twitter—man I would have liked to have been there! For some odd reason I always thought tomance covers would be really BIG, I don’t know why, but it seemed to me they would be. Got to be big to contain all that WIN. So seeing the little squares was sort of a let-down, but the swag is pretty awesome!
The covers are fab O with a capital O. Thanks for sharing the pics and the info on the exhibit.
Sa-weet!!
women are doctors in the wild!
That was a seriously awesome picture tour. I really enjoyed it!
I would give my eye-teeth to see this exhibit. Harlequin should make it a traveling exhibit! Hey, there are galleries in Los Angeles. Just sayin’.
Gad I wish I could see that exhibit, it sounds amazing.
If the exhibit comes to Seattle, I am so there! Lucky you for checking it out in person. :)
My history thesis is looking at the evolution of the nurse post Crimea.
Those would really help with the “research”.....
grovel, and beg
My sister and mom are at BEA, but I’m pretty sure they’re missing most of the stuff I’m hearing about from you and Jane on twitter ... oh well.
Maybe if I win the swag I can show them what they missed?
Thank you, Sarah, for sharing the experience!!
I second, third, or whatever on making this a traveling exhibit. I’d love to go see this in person. :)
i’m heading over to the exhibit tomorrow - many thanks for heads up!
I read about this at livejournal and I’m basically jealous of everyone who will see it.
I do remember that from the 60’s. Lots of competent women with attractive bosses who didn’t seem to fully value their business skills. Kind of miss that. So many of todays’ romances seem to be about needing rescuing.
And that does look like good swag.
place44, as in knowing my place? Or dinner service for 44?
And I totally used to own Dancing on My Heart, which is pictured in the twitpic. Not sure if it’s a notepad or what.
I’m dying to know “Where the Wolf Leads.”
Oh, that one you thought totally looked familier? That was Diamond by Ruth Langdon the first of her Jewels of Texas series.
Also my very first romance novel, ever.
Aw man, if I weren’t all the way in Japan I would love to go see that exhibition.
But count me in for the swag!
“I gotta a feelin’, that tonight’s gonna be a good night.”
Indeed.
Cool pictures *and* swag? Sign me up, please!!!
Thanks for sharing the pics, it looks like an interesting exhibit. And count me for the draw, please, that swag looks awesome.
That’s a fabulous display. I really wish I could have been there to see it in person, but virtual travels with the Bitch herself has to be the next best thing. Thanks for taking all the pictures!
A very cool-looking exhibithion, and so nice of them to give you extra swag. I’m crossing my fingers that I’m the random comment selected.
What a seriously fantastic exhibit! There are so many good reasons to go to New York right now but of course, I can’t! Annoying how that happens. Thanks for sharing the pics so that we can see at least a little. =)
Can I please please have some swag. Please.
Thanks for posting your photos of the exhibition. Harlequin sponsored a “mashed potatoe martini” lunch at the RT convention in Orlando. Their lunch included a sampling of their cover art. I had so much fun talking to the Harlequin authors about their cover art that I forgot to eat! Congratulations Harlequin on your 60th anniversary!
Thank you! I love this! I’d love the swag, too…
I love the old novels for just the reason of the strong, competent heroines. Will definitely look more closely at the covers now!
Swag, please :)
I wish they would bring the exhibit to Canada. I doubt they’d bring it to Montreal but I’d be willing to go to Toronto to see it.
Please count me in for the draw, the good bag looks fantastic.
Check out this response from The Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/harlequins-manly-masterpieces/article1160168
“Favorite” quotes:
With Torstar’s share in CTVglobemedia helping to drag it down further, the company is becoming ever more dependent on the insatiable demands of lusty women around the globe.
The trajectory of the graphic narrative is as predictable as any novel: It begins half a century ago with pert nurses eyeing steady-looking, salt-and-pepper doctors, billows into consummated passion during the shoulder-pad era and ultimately degenerates into the plain old cheesecake we see today
I especially like how the author makes it clear that women’s “needs” can be satisfied by “hacks.” I’m trying to think of a way the author could be more condescending, but I just can’t get there.
Thanks for the report Sarah!
Why are all the good exhibits only in the US? If they brought that to the AGO I would be so excited!
Love your pictures. Wish I had cool business cards now.
Well, I guess now would be a good time to stop my lurking! Yay for vintage romance!
But please, would someone find me a romance novel about a female doctor NOT in the wild? Preferably in which she beds a male nurse? I’ve got an audience of female med students for you.
Please, please, please, make this a traveling exhibit. The whole country - nay, the whole world - deserves to bask in the mantitty.
Make mantitty, not war.
recent26 - sadly, no. 26 was a while ago.
Oy. That swag looks awesome.
People donate a lot of older romances to our library. Most end up on the Friends of the Library Booksale racks, where they make up quite the history of the genre, from covers to themes—and eye shadow. Lots of it.
Love it - thanks! Would love the swag too!
pick me please.
I have become such a huge fan of Harlequin in recent months.. More so than I ever though possible.
I would treat that swag with the honor it deserves! Me! Pick me!! ;p
Cool swag. Loved the pictures.
Swag is good- hope I win some.
Thanks!
***Pedant alert***
Yep, sorry Sarah. Like Al the Girl, I’m pretty sure that’s not a mountie in the first pic. Looks like one of the Foot Guards (they’re the ones often parading about outside Buckingham Palace in their bearskin caps, annoying the pigeons and guarding the queen).
It also kind of looks like the Tower of London in the sketch at the bottom… And while I’m still sporting an (attractive titian blonde) Nancy-Drew-teenage-sleuth wig over my bed head, I’d say that the gas-masked villain is assaulting on the bearskin-capped, hapless-bystanding guard with his hanky of chloroform in front of what looks like Traitor’s Gate.
All of which lead me to deduce that the book involves some kind of 1940s Theft Of The Crown Jewels Plot by Evil Villains Most Foul And Underhanded in WWII gas masks that do little to mask their Evil Intent and Accents Most Teutonic. Or possibly, more fiendish still, a Plot to Remove the Ravens from the Tower of London, thus guaranteeing that the Fall of the Monarchy, and yes, even ze Kinkdom eeetself, and our Ultimate Triumff. Mwahahahaaaaa.
The swag is most cool and enviable, but I’m good without it - the postage alone would be ruinous.
(Nerd fact alert: there are also I think a couple of Canadian Foot Guards regiments. So the guy could possibly still be Canadian, but not a mountie, and I have no idea if that would mean he could be guarding the Tower of London in that case.)
This was much fun to watch unfold on twitter. Thanks!
I’m sad that my upcoming trip to NYC doesn’t coincide with this. The swag would soothe me, though.
Thank you for putting up the photo gallery! I loved it!
We talked about this a little on Twitter (sorry, I guess that should be “we tweeted about this”). Wouldn’t a line of merchandise featuring old skool covers be full of win? I have a favorite handbag made out of a replica of an old Nancy Drew boxed set, and I frequently get positive comments when I carry it. Jane from DA mentioned a matchbook notebook with vintage cover art; I think more of that sort of thing would be a big hit. Especially in conjunction with Harlequin’s anniversary celebration this year.
First of all, my initial reaction (after mis-reading it the first time) wouldn’t it be fabulous if everyone had an orgasm shelf conveniently located in the bedroom ... these are great — I especially love the ginourmous man-titty looming threateningly over the happy couple. And I agree with SonomaLass, I think a line of old skool cover merchandise would be twelve different kinds of awesome! :)
Not only does that look like some quality swag, but I love any opportunity to use the word swag in everyday speech. Sign me up.
Ok I’m leaving a comment to try and win the swag.
Umm…work92? I could have sworn I made 108 apple
pies today.
Don’t suppose this exhibit is coming to New Zealand in like, the next century? Yeah. Figured as much. Thanks for putting up photos of the exhibit so I could at least live vicariously and sigh over it’s fabulousness. Guess I’ll keep buying those Lotto tickets.
Cheers
M
Please put my name in the hat to win the swag. Looks pretty cool. :)
Wow, cool Orgasma shelf. I think I need one of those!
This brings back memories of snitching my mother’s HQR and hiding under the front porch to read it lol Seems a lifetime ago.
That’s some serious awesome right there!
Love the walk down cover art memory lane. That was awesome and makes me wish I’d kept all the old Harlequins I’d read…um…a very long time ago. *sigh*
And the swag? Whoa. Covet.
Oh yay, comments are open again! I just wanted to say that I loved the two shots in the gallery that you took where you got to see the “before” image of how a cover photoshoot was done and then the resulting cover it inspired of the actual Blaze. I’d never seen that before and thought that was totally fascinating!
JT
Me! Me!
-anin
When we used to go to my grandparents in North Carolina, I can remember being amazed by my granny’s wall of Harlequin books, so a lot of those covers look familiar to me. I’m proud to be a third generation romance book reader! I would love to win some swag…
Sign me up!!! *grin*
The hero of Where the Wolf Leads is called Dracon Leloupblanc, which makes him sound to me like Dragon White Wolf, which I find just a bit ridiculous.
The heroine of Dancing on my Heart is called Alma, which means soul, in Spanish.
Midnight Cravings is a selection of short paranormal stories.
I was beginning to wonder if there was a paranormal theme to all the swag, but I couldn’t find any paranormal-related details for General Duty Nurse, so I decided there probably wasn’t. While I was looking, though, I came across a website which has links to old covers with nurses on them. They’re not all romances, but I thought they might be of interest to militaryspouse, at least.
Did I make the deadline? If I did, sign me up to WIN!
I knew I left the East Coast at the wrong time—I would have loved to see this exhibit. But I’d settle for swag. :)
Awesome gallery! I wish I lived closer so I could check it out. Harlequin sent its authors an awesome calendar with some of the best pre-1950 covers and I have it hanging up at work. I get a lot of smiles and chuckles. It’s great! I love seeing the progression of women’s roles and how societal change showed up in the covers. Thanks for the pics!
Gah, I would have loved to see this exhibit! After seeing the ad on the back of PW and flipping through your gallery, I’m having some serious East Coast envy!
Sign me up! :D
I’d love the Harlequin swag! I’ve been toying with the idea of framing old romance cover art and redecorating my bedroom… this might inspire me!
oooh, goodies! I love goodies! I need goodies! Please???
Thank you so much for reopening the comments! These would go beautifully with my Nancy Drew girl detective notepads.
Hooray for romance swag! I was so bummed the comments were closed, but look~ my lucky commenting day.
I wonder if museums would pick this up as a traveling exhibit…
Ohhh, re-opened comments! Yeah and happy day for those of us who were on a forced extended family vacation…
And bummed that I won’t catch the exhibit. Wish I were closer to NYC to enjoy things like this.
Wow - I think I recognize at least one of those covers from my days of raiding mom’s yard sale finds. Please enter me in the drawing!
Eeee, I missed the comments before. I also missed the exhibit (if it’s the same one) when it was touring here (on three separate occasions I had arranged to go, only to have it fall through) so the online tour is very cool.
If it’s open to UK peeps, I’d love to be entered.
Cool beans, sign me up too please.
Sign me up too please!
Consider me enticed!
Great review, by the way!
Count me in! Thanks!
Assault of the Canadian Mountie By Gas Mask Man?!
I seriously love that caption. I love it almost as much as I love the old skool covers (my own favourite, found at a garage sale, was for “Cousin Mark” - and the title! please!).
dark69 - or with the lights on, whatever.
I love that vintage stuff! So many old book covers would be great to frame and hang, especially the pulpy books. I just can’t bring myself to rip the covers off ...
What a fantastic exhibit! I can only hope that it might tour…overseas…to Australia. In my bathroom I have a collection of pulp fiction/romances chosen for the lurid covers.
Wold love to win me some swag…
I love vintage Harlequin-the covers and the stories. This looks like a fun exhibit that I would love to experience. Thanks for the review.
PICK ME! PICK ME! PICK ME! yep I am totally jumping up and down in my chair, I love swag!!!
states97 - I could totally state 97 reasons why I want that swag : )
Sign me up for swag, swag, swag!
The swag looks awesome. Thanks for the contest!
That’s an amazing shwag-haul!
Oh, heck, I wish I could go to the exhibit! Thanks for the photos, and the contest!
Pick me! Pick me! Pick me! ;)
love it!!!
Oooo…me, me please!
Gimme some stuff! I need something to help me get through the summer… I am the Youth Services Librarian (without the Master’s Degree) at a little branch library in a little town. This year, though, I have an ambitious plan to increase my teenage turnout and participation. Take a peek at my blog (follow the link above) to see what I mean. Not that I’m self-promoting or anything. :)
Anyway, I am going to need major stress-relief.
What a great exhibit. Harlequin got me hooked on romances years ago and have kept me sane in a household full of men.
VERY cool! I want it!
Beautiful art!
Oooh! *grabby hands*
Sounds like fun. Wish stuff like that happened closer to me.
Really cool pictures! I remember buying brown grocery sacks full of those in the 70s and 80s at a UBS for $5.00. I was a teenager and saved my allowance to buy them. That’s where I got my romance reading start!
These look so cool! Entering!
Oh, what a cool exhibit. I’m so jealous.
::Raises hand in the air like an incontinent 8-year-old:: Please, please, pick me!!! That Harlequin exhibit is very, very awesome.
I just came across your blog. You know how your looking for one thing and start looking at someone’s blog list. I don’t even remember where I started from! I’d love to be included in this giveaway. I used to have hundreds of old Harlequins. They were in my brothers attic. I couldn’t bring them to my apartment since there wasn’t enough room. Well his attic developed mold and ruined my whole book collection. I was devastated about losing everything. I hadn’t even read many of the books. I was always buying new ones at the store. I haven’t read a Harlequin in years. I used to love them. I always wished I could go to Australia and work at the cattleman’s station. He’d fall in love with me just like the novels. Thanks for reading my mess.
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Cool. Pick me, pick me!!
Goodness, I’m glad I chose to check this site before going off to bed!
Sounds very cool, I only wish I were anywhere near it.
I’m in a passionate clench of oozing want…
Ohhhh, Swag!!! Pick me! Pick me
:: bats pretty eyelashes :: Please?
Thanks for offering the swag. I mentioned this on the Dear Authors site, but I’ll say it again in the hopes that someone can tug on Harlequin’s ear.
I’d really like to see Harlequin do a Coffee Table book on their covers. Please please please.
What the hell, I say pick me. Especially since I never win…...anything…...ever. Seriously. If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.
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We both know that people love to read books especially all about love and real stories, because they can relate their experiences base on the story of what you have written in the book. We would like extend our deep…
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who immediately thought Stephanie Meyer when I saw these two things….
And since y’all have sniped all of the titles I could come up with, here’s the first line of our…
Bought the last two books you recommeded—“Naked Edge” and “Something About You”. Loved both of them and also noticed—discussing future thesis—thesi—theseses—ahem—is that the men in both of these books had very well developed and a tad more “realistic” characters than…
another vote for the first one. The second one is awful.
Eee, these are too much fun! Here’s some of mine (and a couple of friends chipped in after I mentioned this on a forum
<3)
Backpacking Through Crystal Valley
Twinkle Lips and Don Mon Bedonkidick
This also sparked an argument…
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05.29.09 at 02:40 PM