J. W. LOVELL DEAD; FORMER PUBLISHER
In His Heyday Sold 7,000,000 Books a Year, Mostl FOUNDED LOVELL'S LIBRARY
First Published Here for Kipling and Barrie--A Realty Developer -- Pioneer Theosophist.

John Wurtele Lovell of 112 West Ninety-second Street, retired book publisher, former real estate developer and prominent Theosophist, died on Monday of hardening of the arteries at the Hospital for Ruptured and Crippled, after a brief ilness, it was learned yesterday. He was 80 years old.

Funeral services were conducted on Wednesday at the Stephen Merritt Funeral Chapel, 104 West Seventy-third Street, by the Rev. William C. Hicks, rector of St. Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church of Yonkers. Burial took place in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Mr. Lowell was born and educated in Montreal, and in 1875 took up his residence at Rouses Point, N. Y., where be managed the book publishing business of his father, the late John Lovell, whose company, John Lovell & Co., had its principal offices in Canada.

In 1878 Mr. Lovell came to this city and entered upon his separate publishing career, soon achieving success. He had an office for many years at 14 Vesey Street. In 1882 he formed the John W. Lovell Company, of which he was president. He founded Lovell's Library, which published millions of copies of works by such authors as Ruskin, Dickens, Thackeray, Shakespeare and Carlyle, in paper covers tor ten and twenty cents each. He also published books at much higher prices.

Mr. Lovell had the distinction of being the first American publisher of Kipling and Barrie. Among other noted authors whose work be published were Mrs. Humphry Ward, Ouida, and H. Rider Haggard. In his heyday he estimated that he was selling 7,000,000 copies of books yearly. most of them in the cheap editions. For some years he published a new book a day, and it was not unusual for him to have more than 4,000 titles on hand.

Gradually Mr. Lovell's interests expanded, He founded or help found a number of subsidiary firms, which finally, in 1889, was absorbed into the United States Book Company, which he served as vice president and also as president. Among the subsidiary concerns were the Lovell-Coryell Company, the John Hovendon Company, the Frank F. Lovell Company, the Empire Publishing Company, and the Lovell Gestefel Company.

The United States Book Company failed in the panic of 1893, and there after Mr. Lovell devoted himself to real estate. He retired several years ago.

Mr. Lovell, although not a founder of the American Theosophical Society, was one of its first members, joining it in the early 80s. He served for a while as its secretary and published many works on theosophy, including those of Mabel Collins. He was a friend of Mme. Blavataky, noted theosophist.

Five years ago Mr. Lovell's wife the former Miss Carrie F. Crook died. He is survived by three sons. John K. Leven o! Yonkers, general freight claim agent of the New York Central Railroad; William C. of Fort Lee, N.J., and Frederick K. of Rouses Point; a daughter, Mrs. Lee O. Kellog of Palo Alto, Cal., three brothers, Frank F., Lovell of New York, Joseph of Montreal and Edward of Canterbury, Conn.; three sisters, Mrs. F. C. Baker, Mrs. W. J. Foster and Mrs. F. G. Finley, all of' Montreal, and four grandchildren.

New York Times, April 22, 1932, p. 17.

Last revised: 26 May 2019