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THE HARDY BOYS ONLINE: An unofficial online resource for fans of the Hardy Boys books

Endpapers (Canon)

The inside front and back covers of a book are called the endpapers (or endsheets). The format of the Hardy Boys endpapers has changed several times.

Orange endpapers were used from the early 1930s to the late 1950s. (Before that, the endpapers were plain white.)
Brown multi-scene endpapers were introduced in 1958. Some initial printings from 1958 have a darker printing of the endpapers, cut off differently in different volumes.
White multi-scene endpapers, containing line drawings of the same scenes as the brown endpapers, were introduced on new books from the early 1960s on. Reprints of pre-1960s editions kept the brown endpapers until revised editions were released.
Oval portrait endpapers were introduced in 1979.

With the introduction of the laminated plastic "flashlight" cover in 1987, Grosset & Dunlap came full circle, using plain white endpapers once again.

Identification of scenes

The numbers in red represent volume numbers. See below for a list of titles and exact cover art dates.

15. The Sinister Signpost, 1950 [view]
36. The Secret of Pirates' Hill, 1956 [view]
27. The Secret of Skull Mountain, 1948 [view]
33. The Yellow Feather Mystery, 1953 [view]
35. The Clue in the Embers, 1955 [view]
32. The Crisscross Shadow, 1953 [view]
16. A Figure in Hiding, 1937 [view]
6. The Shore Road Mystery, 1944 [view]
31. The Secret of Wildcat Swamp, 1952 [view]
1. The Tower Treasure, 1944 [view]
23. The Melted Coins, 1944 [view]
24. The Short-Wave Mystery, 1945 [view]
8. The Mystery of Cabin Island, 1945 [view]
28. The Sign of the Crooked Arrow, 1949 [view]
9. The Great Airport Mystery, 1944 [view]
29. The Secret of the Lost Tunnel, 1950 [view]
11. While the Clock Ticked, 1950 [view]
20. The Mystery of the Flying Express, 1941 [view]
2. The House on the Cliff, 1944 [view]
13. The Mark on the Door, 1950 [view]
21. The Clue of the Broken Blade, 1942 [view]
12. Footprints Under the Window, 1950 [view]