By 1914, he was the largest publisher of law-books in the world. His retail store was known as "Callaghan's Three Miles of Law Books."

"Call Again" Callaghan, as he was knonw to his clients, retired in 1891, leaving the business to his son.

Founded by Roswell Smith, a Hoosier lawyer, and Josiah GIlbert Holland, an author.

They went to Scribner with the idea of starting a new magazine, Scribner liked the idea well enough to partially fund the experiment under the name of Scribner & Company , but most of the money was put up by Smith and Holland.

The magazine was called "Scribner's Monthly: An Illustrated Magazine for the People".

After Scribner's death the following year (1871), Scriner & Company became independent of Charles Scribner's Sons.

One of the first acts of the new firm established a magazine for children, St. Nicholas, which was a huge success.

In 1876, they decided to expand into book publishing. Their first volume, issued that year, was Talks With Girls, a book of moral instruction.

The second book came in 1877, The Great South by Edward King.

In 1878, they began issuing hymnals. Most of these, including the first, Songs for the Sanctuary, were edited by the Rev. Charles Robinson. Eventually John R. Beecroft was hired to operate the publishing of hymnals as a separate division that continued to be profitable until it was sold in 1945 to Fleming H. Revell Co.

With these books entering the market under the imprint of Scribner's and Company, Scribner's Sons complained about the public confusion being created and sold its share of Smith and Holland's copany back to the founders, who were now free to rename the firm.

They chose CENTURY COMPANY to honor the Centruy Club, and the magazine was renamed "Century Illustrated Magazine". (Scribner & Sons, in the sell-out, agreed not to start a magazine with the Scribner name for five years.)

Under the Centruy imprint, and now completely free of the Scribner scrutiny, they issued hardbound versions of novels that had been serialized in their magazine over the last ten years.

For over three decades Roswell SWmith had firted with the idea of issuing a brand new dictionary to compete with Merriam's Webster. He purchased the rights to John Ogilvie's priated version of an out-of-print Webster, but found it was unworkable, so he hired a staff of over 50 people headed by William Dwight Whitney of Yale and president of the American Philogical Association and Benjamin E. Smith, to start from scratch.

After seven years the first pages of the Century Dictionary appeared. Finished, the dictionary was six quarto volumes, over 7,000 pages, with over 500,000 definitions and 8,000 illustrations, and in a typeset by the famous typographist, Theodore Low De Vinne, all at a cost of over $1,000,000.

A big success, it went through numerous editions in various versions, including a ten volume set in 1911.

TRhe Encyclopedia Britannica purchased the rights to issue special editions fo the dictionary and in time these replaced those issued by Century itself.

There were numerous spin-offs that became Century's "bread and butter" items: 1894---Centruy Cyclopedia of Names; 1897---Centruy Atlas of the World; 1900---New Century Dictionary of the English Language, an abridgement.

Meanwhile, the company continued to produce novels:

1901---Mrs. Wiggis of the Cabbage Patch by Alice Caldwell Hegan.

1912---Daddy-Long-Legs, Jean Webster.

1913---The Brownie Books series began.

And non-fiction:

Hay and Nicolay's Lincoln

GBooks illustrated by Arthur Rackham.

Jean-Henri Fabre's books on natural history.

In 1931, Century sold St. Nicholas Magazine, the best children's magazine ever published, to American Education PRess, which ruined it.

In 1933 the company merged with Appleton to become Appleton-Century.


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Charles W. Clark, New Orleans, the most prolific publisher after teh Civil War, was form Pennsylvania. He founded the Lithographic Book and Job Printing House, where he published for the Masons. In 1873, he formed partnership with Albert D. Hofeline, a printer with a good reputation for craftsmanship.

They issued countless pamphlets and booklets championing the "Lost Cause" of the Confederacy. Most were propaganda and angry, hostile, vigilante in tone.

On the more positive sie, they had books on local histories of counties and towns.

Partnership was dissolved in 1883 and neither man published again.


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A devout Irish Catholic, P.F. Collier went to a seminary to become a priest but instead ended up working as a salesman for P.J. Kennedy, publisher of Catholic books. He suggested sales could be increased by offering books on a subscription plan. Kennedy disagreed so Collier started his own subscription service.

In 1875 he issued his first books from a printing press in his basement. In addition to Bibles, he published Father Burke's Lectures. At first he sold only Catholic books but after he expanded to a more secular market, he sold his religious inventory to Kennedy.

1888, founded family magazine "Once a Week". Later, he changed the name to "Collier's, the National Weekly."

1898, his only son, Robert J. Collier became a partner.

Together, they made Collier the largest subscription house in America. In the decade 1900-1910 they sold over 30 million books.

Collier was acclaimed "Father of the Modern Subscription Book Business."

1909, introduced "The Harvard Classics". The president of Harvard, Charles William Eliot, said in a speech a man could acquire a complete liberal education from a five foot book shelf. R.J. Collier challenged him to select the books for that shelf and the Harvard Classics was the result. "Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf" and "Fifteen minutes a day" became slogans.

In 1921 Colliers purchased Harper's subscription buisness which included a subscription set of Mark Twain.

Peter Fenelon Collier died in 1909.

Robert died in 1918.

1919 the company was sold to Crowell Publishing Co., which for years operated Collier as a separate division.

In 1919 Crowell was renamed CROWELL-COLLIER PUBLISHING CO. with Collier as a subsidiary.

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A well-respected Boston bookbinder, Thomas Y. Crowell founded his own binder in 1834.

In 1876 he began publishing books.

His son, T. Irving Crowell, joined the business in 1882. Another son, Jeremiah Osborne Crowell, was sales manager.

The family issued a profitable line of reference works:

They also published a variety of fiction titles:

Frank Heller detective/mystery series

Children's books

Gift volumes

Thomas Y. Crowell died in 1909 and was succeeded by T. Irving Crowell.

In 1919, Crowell purchased Collier (see 1873).

Irving Crowell retired in 1937, replaced by third generation Robert L. Crowell, who moved the firm more toward tarade books and biographies.

In 1938, Elizabeth Riley joined the firm to develop a children's book division. She became one of the first women in the field.

1939 the name was changed to CROWELL-COLLIER PUBLISHING CO.

After WWII, the company went into decline, espcially their big three magazines. By 1956, the magazines were shut down. Firm found itself with nothing but the Harvard Classics and Collier's Encyclopedia. The company decided to expand into radio and textbooks.

1960, suffered hostile take-over by MacMillan.

1961, purchased Free Press of Glencoe, Inc. publishers of Graduate Texts since 1947.

??? company sold to Dun-Donnelly Publishing Co.

1978, sold to Harper & Row, who also purchased Lippincott and combined the two as a subsidiary, CROWELL & LIPPINCOTT.

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Founded in England in 1833 by John Cassell, a carpenter who wanted to publish books that would improve the conditions of the working lasses. his company was soon distributing books around the world.

In 1859 Cassell appointed John Riobbins to start an American arm that would publish books for American laboreres, but the Civil War interferred with his success, so in 1865 Cassell appointed Walter Low. In 1868, Robert Turner arrived and developed American Cassell into a serious publishing house.

In 1890, manager Oscar Dunham purchased the company and, although he did not change the name, made it independent of its mother company in England.

Issued oversized books illustrated by Dore.

Picturesque Mediterranean. Picturesque Egypt.

Journal of Marie Bashkirtseff.

"Sunshine Series" of fiction.

"Blue Library" and "National Library".

Also issued two magazines: "Magazine of Art" and "Cassell's Family Magazine".

But the Panic of 1893 hurt Dunham badly and he was unable to pay a debt of $400,000. He then stole $180,000 cash and disappeared.

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Edward Claxton worked for John Grigg and eventually became a partner.

1850 J.B. Lippincott purchased John Grigg, and made Claxton a partner in the new firm.

By 1868 the numerous partners at Lippincott were feuding. Claxton and another partner, George Remsen, who had also come over from John Grigg, quit to form their own firm. Hoffelfinger, another Grigg employee, joined soon after. They took with them hundreds of Grigg titles from Lippincott.

Mechanical and Engineering works.

Comprehensive Commentary on the Holy Bible, six volumes.

By 1880, they were the largest publisher in America.

1880, Remsen and Hofflefinger retired. Firm renamed E.CLAXTON & CO. Edward joined by son Robert Claxton.

1884, Jay Gould bank failure sank them. Claxton filed for BK.

Edward Meeks assumed their debts, hired Claxton as an employee.

1891 Edward Claxton died.

Meeks closed down the business a few years later.

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Founded in 1887 by a group of booklovers as a club to promote literature and rare editions.

In 1890, the club began to publish rare editions in high quality format. The most successful or famous:

2 volume, Court Memoirs

5 volume, Early American Poetry

Facsimile reproduction of Mortons' New England Memorial, and other works from early Massachusetts booksellers.

All books published by the Club of Odd Volumes are highly sought and valued.

Printers, designers for this club were among the best in America: Bruce Rogers at Riverside Press, for example.


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Founded by Chandler E. Beach

As a salesman for the Encyclopedia Briticannica he saw a need for aan easier-to-read encyclopedia. He published, in 1893, the Student Encyclopedia, in 2 volumes, under the imprint of CHANDLER B. BEACH OF CHICAGO.

Later edition, a third volume was added and name changed to The Student's Reference Work.

Still later, increased to a seven volume set named The New Student's Reference Work.

In 1894 he hired a salesman to assist him. Frank E. Compton was a student trying to pay his way through law school.

Compton became general manager in 1905.

Beach retired in 1907, Compton purchased rights, changed name to F.E. Compton & Co.

1922, issued Compton's Pictured Encyclopedia, which has become a standard. Originally, it was sold only by subscription.


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Founders, Herbert Copeland and Fred Holland Day, were Boston Bohemians who saw the world as decadent. With their books they hoped to provide art and beauty to the world.

A wealthy dandy wearing his hair long and dressed in a waist coat (ala Oscar Wilde and Elbert Hubbert), Fred Day travelled U.S. and Europe extensively in search of art work. Collected the finest library of rare Keatsiana in the world.

He took a job with A.S. Barnes to learn the book business.

A Harvard scholar during that university's heyday, Herbert Copeland was steeped in Greek, Latin, German and French. His first job in the literary field was as an editor for Youth's Companion Magazine, which put him in touch with numerous rising authors. One of these was Gelett Burgess.

The pair's first work: Ralph Adams Cram, The Decadent.

Followed by: Eight Designs by Walter Crane, Illustrator.

Shakepeare's Tempest on India paper, atlas quarto.

Hobby Horse on French handmade paper.

For the most part, their lists were ornamental, artsy books, but NOT limited editions. They printed off as many copies as the market demanded.

Most successful: Songs from Vagabondia by Carman & Hoveyand Yellow Book with Beardsley drawings.

Eventually, Day lost interest in the business and moved on to other challenges.

In 1899 the book lists were sold to Copeland's Harvard classmate, Herbert Small, who established Small, Maynard & Co.

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Robert G. Cooke and Charles P. Fry.

This effort was a vanity press, and by some accounts was the first American vanity press.

Specialized in books for businesses, such as anniversary commemorations paid for by the business owners.

Issued catalogue of J.P. Morgan's artworks.


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Founded by Robert Porter and Charles Davis in 1848 as DAVIS & PORTER CO. Specialized in trade and art books.

In 1866, Henry Coates joined the firm, which was renamed DAVIS, PORTER & COATES.

In 1867 Davis retired and the name became PORTER & COATES.

In 1869 G. Morrison Coates, brother of Henry, joined the firm.

In 1895, Porter retired, firm became HENRY T. COATES & CO.

Published magazine, "Home and Garden".

In 1904, Coates retired and sold the company to John C. Winston Co.

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