PUBLISHER: M. A. Donohue & Co., Chicago, 1901-1960s
ABOUT: Donohue bought out Henneberry in 1903 and began using M.A. Donohue & Company imprint. Died 1915. Company continued (to 1960s) at 711 South Dearborn. (DLB 49). This is not entirely correct: in the 1899 Chicago Lakeside directory, Michael A. Donohue is listed as a principal in Donohue, Henneberry & Co. In 1900 and after, there is no entry for Donohue, Henneberry & Co., but in the classified portion of the 1901 directory, the M. A. Donohue & Company is listed under bookbinders at 407-429 Dearborn and described as "successors to Donohue Brothers" while in the alphabetical listing its entry reads "successors to Donohue and Henneberry, publishers, printers and binders." Also, in the 1910 directory, Michael A. Donohue is identified as president of the company (home 4547 Grand Blvd.), Michael A. Donohue, Jr., is treasurer (home 6617 Harvard Avenue), and William F. Donohue is secretary (home 5619 Sheridan). Edward T. Donohue is a member of the firm by 1917. The firm is addressed 1901-1906 at 407-429 Dearborn; 1907-1909 (or 1910) at 407-425 Dearborn; 1911 (or 1910)-1916 at 701-727 Dearborn; 1917 at 701-733 Dearborn; and 1923 at 709-711 Dearborn.
Founded in 1861 as Cox and Donohue, bookbinders. Shortly after, the firm's style was changed to Donohue, Wilson & Henneberry, and about 1880 to Donohue & Henneberry, during which period the concern entered the printing as well as the binding business and started publishing books. In 1901, when M. A. Donohue bought out Henneberry, the firm became M. A. Donohue & Company. Its original object in publishing was to issue children's books and sets. In the early 1900's the firm decided to deal exclusively in children's books. It is probably the oldest juvenile publishing firm in the country which throughout its history has been controlled by one family. (Stern). Michael A. Donohue, head of the publishing firm which bears his name, died Tuesday, October 5, [1915] age 74 years. Mr. Donohue embarked in the publishing business fifty years ago as a member of the bookbinding firm of Cox & Donohue, located at Lake and Clark streets, for years a landmark in the city and destroyed in the great fire of 1871. After the fire the concern located at 164 Clark street and was later succeeded by a change of name to Donohue & Henneberry. Later on this firm dissolved and for many years the firm of M. A. Donohue has been conducted under the direction of Mr. Donohue himself, assisted by his sons, John, William, Michael and Edward. (The Typographical Journal, Official Paper of the International Typographical Union of North America. (Indianapolis, Ind.) Volume 47 ([November] 1915), p680.)
What seems to have happened is that the firm of (William P.) Donohue & (Michael A. Sr.) Hennebery began to dissolve (for unknown reasons) during 1898-1899; Donohue -- perhaps more accurately the Donohue family -- reorganized first and briefly as Donohue Brothers, but by 1901, with M. A. Donohue, Sr. in control, the firm emerged as M. A.Donohue & Co. Donohue then died in 1915, the firm surviving him into the 1960s as one of the longest extant firms controlled by a single company. Meantime, W. P. Henneberry established his own firm, The Henneberry Company which opened in 1901 with an agressive line of newly designed reprint editons. Henneberry died a few months before Donohue, in May 1915.
John Kreiger's Series of Series has further information on this firm, incuding reproduction of an 1904 advertisement that suggests that whiile M. A. Donohue prepared its books in series it may have sold them primarily to "general and department store" retailers in bulk assortments (the ad offers lots of 200 ($12.50) and 450 ($25) books), arguing that by selling the books at ten and fifteen cents each, the retailer could generate twice the income from their investment.
Donohue & Henneberry was resolutely anti-union. Under increasing pressure, The International Bookbinder v3 (1902), p74 reports the new firm caved: "There is an interesting bit of news to be told from the Windy City by the Lake viz: That the firm of M. A. Donohue has at last capitulated after a long siege of more than six year’s duration to the various unions interested. This firm a little more than two weeks ago agreed to run their plant nine hours through the solicitation of various locals interested, and to crown it all has agreed to run a strictly union bindery on and after April 23d. This was accompanied by the united by the efforts of local unions involved."
LUCILE’s ISSUED BY M. A. Donohue & Co.: M. A. Donohue published Lucile in both "handy volume" and "library-size" formats; 1902 United States Catalog. Lucile. Donohue. 25c, 35c, 50c, $1, $1.50. 1912 Donohue Lucile. 50c; $1.50; lea. $1; $1.50.
The firm contributed a catalog to PTLA only once, in 1914; that catalog made no mention of Lucile editions/series. Catalogs, and even advertising, have proved elusive: Cary Sternick has found a single catalog, dateable to about 1905. This makes it difficult to link copies of Lucile to named series, and most of those listed below are taken over from Henneberry & Donohue sources.(
FRONTISPIECES AND TITLE PAGES
12MO CLOTH BOUND EDITIONS
[ADVANCE EDITION?]. 407-429 Dearborn, nd. 122x190mm, 369p. Titlepage: "Complete Edition." Frontispiece: DuMaurier illustration "Search'd her face with a long look of troubled appeal..." Linen-finish red cloth, title/author in gold on spine, blind rule. Catalog at rear advertises "The New Alpine Edition" of 160 titles (Lucile is #77) in more complex bindings at 75 Cents. This catalog appears in the Rare Book School copy BAP DM2. The address suggests publication 101-1907.
AETNA EDITION.. This edition was first issued by Donohue, Henneberry & Co. after 1895. Note seahorse monogram lower right corner of scroll: W. W. Denslow's mark.
AURORA SERIES of Illustrated Masterpieces. 12mos. Each Book in a Special Box. Printed from new plated on coated paper of the highest grade, bound in the best quality of cloth; stamped from unique and original dies on the front and back in three colors of ink and genuine gold; title stamped on the side and back in gold. In the upper panel an appropriate design, illustrative of each title, is stamped in colors, thus producing a pleasing and striking effect; gilt top. Each book contains from 30 to 90 half-tone and line illustrations, thus ornamenting and embellishing the text more elaborately than was ever attempted before in a line to sell at a popular price. List Price, $1.50 Per Volume. Our Special Price, 78c. Postage Extra 12c. [Lucile is #8 of 14].
GREEK-LAMP LIBRARYJohn Kyrgier's web site Series of Series reports a copy of Cooper's The Pathfinder with an M. A. Donohue imprint and the dustjacket shown below left. The cover of the book has a Greek lamp centered on the cover of the binding, thus confirming it in this series. The jacket's rear panel bears a long (unnumbered) list of titles which includes both Lucile and The Pathfinder, both of which were included in Donohue's Greek Lamp Library by or before 1908. Kyrgier argues the jacket was generic to the series, i.e., it was used on all volumes over multiple years, the "tab" at the top of the spine trimmed away in printing to expose the actual title of the book enclosed. No copy of Lucile in this binding with a Donohue imprint has been found; However, Rand, McNally advertised a Greek Lamp Series from 1906-1914 in an identical binding (in which a copy of Lucile is held in the Rare Book School collection) -- but it has no dust jacket. No relationship between Rand, McNally and M. A. Donohue has been documented but one between two Chicago firms would not be unexpected.
OTHER 12MO EDITIONS IN CLOTH BINDINGS, NOT IDENTIFIED TO SERIES
*^* 12MO EDITIONS BOUND IN LEATHER *^*
IMPERIAL SERIES of Illustrated Masterpieces. 12mo Mottled Leather, Each Book in a Special Box. The Imperial Series of 14 titles surpasses anything issued in the book line this year. Printed new plates on the highest grade of book paper with frontispiece and illuminated cover in two colors, it makes a handsome appearance. Bound in genuine mottled, or maculated, leather, gold edges, gold side and gold back titles, gold ornamental back stamp and gold figures on front cover. Fancy colored silk head-bands. List Price, $2.00 Per Volume. Our Special Price, $1.10c. Postage Extra 13c. [Lucile is #8 of 14].
12MO EDITIONS IN PADDED LEATHER BINDINGS NOT IDENTIFIED TO SERIES
*^* HANDY VOLUME [16MO] EDITIONS *^*
BURNT LEATHER SERIES. 50 Titles, 16mo Limp Leather. Illustrated. A knowledge of pyrography is now as much an accomplishment as music, elocution, or painting and no house is complete unless it contains a variety of bric-a-brac – articles of burnt wood or leather, such as glove and jewelry boxes, picture frames, taborets - even furniture; and now we have for the first time a line of 16mo classics bound in Limp Leather with beautiful scroll design and title burned on side, ornamented with circular half-tone vignette in a border of gold. Beautiful, unique and very popular. Price, $1.25 Per Volume. Our Special Price, 72c. Postage Extra 8c. [Lucile is #29 of 50].
DONOHUE’S 16mo PADDED LEATHER. 50 Titles, Illustrated. A choice assortment of many of the world’s greatest literary masterpieces, both poetry and prose, the latter embracing works in every branch of literature by the greatest writers of modern time. Printed on the best book paper, bound in genuine leather, with silk head-bands and red edges under gold, rounded corners, designs and titles on side and back in gold. Each book packed in neat box. List Price, $1.00 Per Volume. Our Special Price, 59c. Postage Extra 6c. [Lucile is #29 of 50].
OTHER 16MO LEATHER BOUND EDITIONS NOT IDENTIFIED TO SERIES
16MO EDITIONS IN CLOTH BINDINGS
VENETIAN SERIES. 50 Titles 16mo Cloth, Illustrated. This handsome series of 50 titles is proving to be the most popular line of 16mos published. Each volume is a classic, whether poetry or prose, as none but the most popular authors have been included in this series. Printed on the best book paper from new plates, bound in cloth, original cover designs stamped in gold with Venetian scenes in colors. Titles on back and side in gold. Each volume in tissue wrapper and boxed. List price, 75c. Our Special Price, 24c. Postage Extra, 7c. [Lucile is #29 of 50].
INSERT DESCRIPTION
This binding style was used earlier by both Donohue & Henneberry and Donohue Brothers
The silver stamped spine design on these copies was used earlier by both Donohue & Henneberry and Donohue Brothers
but has not been identified to series
16MO EDITIONS IN CLOTH BINDINGS NOT IDENTIFIED TO SERIES
Last revised: 3 December 2022