Barbara Allister: The Temporary Husband

This is the last of the books that Allan illustrated for Barbara Allister. She did write other books under the Signet line. The Temporary Husband was published in March 1987. The plot is about a girl named Amanda who needs a husband in order to keep a young child who is her ward. She marries Lord Mainwaring in order to do so.

At this time in England, middle and upper class women had very little personal rights. Before they married, they were property of their fathers and after, their husbands. Women could not vote, work (except to teach), or go to university. The only profitable way to increase your lot in life was to marry well.

This is one of Allan's outdoor illustrations and it's a beautiful one with the couple standing near the ornate sundial. The house in the background has a Tudor feel with the gardens and flowers evoking a beautiful spring day in England. The heroine wears a typical day dress, simple and cut in the empire style while the hero wears a coat suitable for dining or travel. People in the country usually wore a more sedate style of dress than those residing in London.

Barbara Allister: A Marriage of Convenience

A Marriage of Convenience was published by Signet in October 1997. This is one of the last books that Allan Kass illustrated. I noticed that his later books have the couple more prominent, but still has the delicate touch that we love. Check out the window in this photo! In Regency times, brides didn't automatically wear a white wedding dress. Many girls married in their Sunday best or chose a favorite color to make their dress. Weddings could be held in a parish church after the calling of banns for 3 weeks in a row, or by use of a paid special license, which enabled the couple to marry immediately.

Allan retired from illustrating books in 1998. Signet was wanting him to paint "gimmick covers" and to take a pay decrease. That was his sign to retire. He loved the elegance of the period and was artistic enough to want to do his best. I was sorry when I noticed that he had quit illustrating, but that encouraged me to begin hunting for his other book illustrations that I didn't own!

A Marriage of Convenience is about a girl named Jane who has 2 suitors fighting over her: Lord Langston and Stephen Middleton. Which will she choose?

Barbara Allister: The Impulsive Governess

This is another illustrated cover of Allan Kass. The Impulsive Governess was published in January 1993 by Signet. Allan did many regency illustrations set outdoors. Notice the leafy trees and river in the background and the simplicity of the couple's picnic attire. The plot of this book is that Frederica is a governess in the home of Lord Lucian, who has assumed the guardianship of 4 children. At that time, the only "job" a woman could hold was as a governess.

A Regency Romance is a book set during the years of 1810-1820, which was a bridge in history between the Georgian reign (think George the 3rd, who lost the American colonies) and the Victorian reign of Queen Victoria. It was a time of great achievements in art, music, poetry, and fashion. Famous people from this time are Lord Byron, Percy and Mary Shelly, Beau Brummell, and Jane Austen. George the 4th was regent, or ruler in charge, during this time since his father was insane. He was a leader of fashion and a lover and collector of art. He designed the Pavilion in Brighton and lived at Carlton House in London.

Regencies are different from other romances in the wittiness and lightness of the writing and little to no sexual scenes in the stories. Jane Austen was considered the first regency writer with Georgette Heyer her successor! Regencies became popular around the mid 1970's when Barbara Cartland and others, riding on the popularity of Georgette Heyer, began writing. The heyday of the regency romance was definitely in the 1980's with current popular authors Mary Balogh, Marion Chesney, Kasey Michaels, Joan Wolf, Catherine Coulter, and Barbara Metzger all getting their beginning with regencies. Soon as many as 10 books a month were being published by Signet, Zebra, Avon, Jove, and Harlequin publishers, but, unfortunately, not all of them were well written. The rise in popularity of the paranormal genre, along with the higher cost of books set the stage for the demise of the regency romance. Any "regencies" written nowadays are found under the historical romance genre (think Julia Quinn and Stephanie Laurens).

I'm not sure alphabetically is the best way to list Allan's bookcovers. I'd rather list by year, but I know that I'm missing some of his older book illustrations. Please feel free to comment or contact me.

Barbara Allister: The Captivated Countess

This is hopefully, the first of many book covers by Allan Kass that I list in this blog! I will be publishing the book covers alphabetically by author since I'm still looking for some older illustrations of Allan's.

This book was published in April 1986 by Signet, a division of New American Library, at the height of the Regency Romance popularity! I believe that this was the height of Allan's art, also. Not only is the couple beautiful, but his attention to detail with the clock on the mantle and the trim of her shawl are magnificent! Click on the photo to enlarge!

Most of the romances published in the 70's and 80's were painted canvasses that the artists were commissioned by the publishing houses to produce. Allan wrote to me that he only had 200 of the approximately 1000 book cover canvasses in his possession, even though they were his intellectual property. Many were given to the book authors or given away by the publishing houses. One of the reasons I wanted to start this blog is that there is so little known about the illustrators of the 1970's- 1990's. Now, most romance illustrations are photographs of people, which I believe is cheaper to create, but most of the beauty is lost.

Allan Kass illustrated 4 of Barbara Allister's books. The Captivated Countess is about a girl named Catherine who, as a girl, falls in love with Dominic. He weds another and they meet later after he is widowed and she is an exile from polite society.

You can find older books like this in a used book store or thrift shop. Unfortunately, regency romances are not being published much anymore. Signet and Zebra publishers quit in 2005. Hopefully soon they will make a comeback!