PUBLISHER: James Pott & Co., New York, 1881-1930
ABOUT: From 1871, Pott, Young & Co. operated a retail book store, making a speciality of church books... publishing religious books and a few miscellaneous items.... In December 1880, Pott retired from this firm and early in the following year he began to publish and sell books under his own name [i.e., James Pott] at 12 Astor Place. His son, James, Jr., was admitted as a partner in 1884, and the firm name became James Pott & Co. There were successive moves, to 114 Fifth Avenue in 1893, and to the Jefferson Building, at 119 and 121 West Twenty-third Street, in March 1896. Pott gave up retailing with the last move. He died on February 8, 1905.... reserved and reticent man... devoutly religious.... [Tebbel]. Tebbel's account conflicts in part with data extracted from PTLA which reports Pott, Young & Co. catalogs 1873-1880 and James Pott catalogs 1883-1906, 1923-1930.
See also 19th Century Juvenile Series.
LUCILE’s ISSUED BY James Pott & Co.: 1902 United States Catalog. Lucile. Loire ed. limp seal, $4.50; Orleans ed. mor. $3.50; Richelieu ed. cf. $2.50; Savoy ed. limp mor. $2 '01. 1912 United States Catalog. Lucile. Savoy ed. lea. $2.25.
NOTE: Most (but not all) Pott editions use the Stokes' Vignette Edition as the text block (and most carry the Stokes' copyright notice on the verso of the title page). Pott presumably purchased the printed sheets in bulk from Stokes and added its own binding, typically a limp or semi-limp high quality leather.
1897 PTLA: Popular Classic Series. Style 1.-French Morocco, limp, round corner, gold edge... 1.00; Style 2.-Norse Morocco, limp, round corner, red under gold edge, leather lined to match... 1.75; Style 3.-Behring Seal, limp, round corner, red under gold edge, calf lined... 2.00.
1900 PTLA: Handsome Editions of the Poets. Our superior facilities for manufacturing leather bindings enable us to offer the best line of leather-bound poets that can be had. / The Harvard Poets. A beautiful line carefully printed on best white paper with new designed title in two colors. Bound in limp morocco (maroon and dark green). Handsomely designed titles side and back, red under gold edges, gold roll, 12mo, illustrated, per volume... $1.75; Handsome box, something novel and new, gold label on box. [Cut]. / The Grolier Poets. Carefully printed on best white book paper, with specially designed title in two colors. Bound in morocco (maroon and dark green). Divinity circuit, handsome design in gold and embossed effect side and back. Red under gold edges, 12mo, illustrated, per volume... 2.50. Handsome box, something new and novel, gold label on box. [Cut].
1901 PTLA: Holiday Gift Books. The publishers have spared neither pains nor expense to render the volumes in this series the most beautiful editions in existance of the works selected for publication. / Each is a beautiful 12mo volume, illustrated very fully by half-tone engravings after original designs made especially for the work. Many of the illustrations are full page, and the remainder are of various sizes and odd shapes, and are set in the text in the French style with wide margin. Our superior facilities for manufacturing leather bindings enable us to offer the best line of leather editions that can be had. / The Savoy Edition. Bound in limp morocco (maroon and dark green). Handsomely designed title, side and back, red under gold edges, 12mo, $2.00. Slide box, gold label. [Cut]. / The Richelieu Edition. Bound in limp smooth Persian (scarlet, and dark blue). Handsome designed title inlaid, gold mitre line around side, library back, gold roll, red under gold edges, 12mo, per vol., $2.50. Slide box, gold label. / The Orleans Edition. Bound in agate, Turkey morocco (dark blue), monogram in gold, gold mitre line around side, handsome back in gold and blind, rold roll, red under gold edges, 12mo, per volume, $3.50. Slide box, gold label. / The Loire Edition. This is the finest leather-bound edition ever issued of this style of publication. Bound in genuine sealskin (maroon and dark green), with calf lining to match, handsome back in gold, gold mitre line on inside of cover around edge, solid gold edge. 12mo, per volume, $4.50. Slide box, gold label.
1902 PTLA: as 1901 but offering only Savoy and Loire editions.
1903-1906 PTLA: Savoy edition as 1900 with added line, "An entirely new binding has been selected for 1903 which is decidedly more attractive than any style heretofore offered. [Cut of Whittier]. / Loire edition as 1900 with added line, "This is without question the finest leather-bound edition of a poet ever issued."
1908-1909, 1911-1912 PTLA: The Savoy Edition of Poets. Bound in a superior quality of leather, with handsomely designed title, colors, gold edges, 12mo in box, $2.25....
Last revised: 13 June 2021