PUBLISHER: Ticknor & Company, Boston, 1885-1889

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ABOUT: Formed from J.R. Osgood & Company by Benjamin H. & Thomas B. Ticknor. Acquired 1889 by Houghton, Mifflin. (DLB 49). The end [of James R. Osgood & Co.] came abruptly on May 2, 1885 in the form of a challenged promissory note at the National Bank of Commerce... A reorganization was effected involving a new partnership comprising Thomas Ticknor and George F. Godfrey, of Bangor, Maine, who was to bring in new capital of $25,000. The new firm, to be known as Ticknor & Co., offered to pay Osgood's obligations at a third of their face value, and the creditors accepted... Benjamin Bradley, a Boston bookbinder [for whom Thomas Y. Crowell worked in 1856] ...was one of the pioneers in cloth binding, the primary supplier for Ticknor & Fields,... and others... (Tebbel). In 1889, Ticknor & Company merged with Houghton, Mifflin & Co.

PUBLISHERS' NOTES. Ticknor & Co. formed. THE re-establishment of this time-honored firm of bookmakers is a fact worthy to be set down in red letters. The name of Ticknor is so closely interwoven with all that pertains to the progress of letters in the New World that to see it no longer spread upon the publishing records of the City of Boston would seem like severing one of the warmest ties that bind the days of Irving, Prescott, Poe, Cooper, Hawthorne, Everett and Choate to our own. Of course it would be invidious to ignore the aid and support given to this house by James T. Fields, one of America's most genial and gentle book men, who has possibly "created" more successful writers than any American publisher living or dead. Fields was a rare combination of genuine cognoscenteship, so to speak, and generous, upright business talent, the two needful things in the make-up of a good publisher.

In the Old World, as in the New, the house of Ticknor & Fields always stood primus inter pares. The present firm, composed of Benjamin H. and Thomas B. Ticknor and George F. Godfrey, succeeds not only to the memory of a long line of brilliant successes, but also to an actual book-list that is strong enough to make fame and fortune for any house under a wise administration. It will suffice to say that arnong the names gracing that list will be found those of Howells. Hawthorne, James, Mrs. Burnett, Harris, J. Freeman Clarke et al. THE BOOKMAKER has made arrangements with this house to reproduce its artistic covers and give specirnens of its book illustrations. --The American Bookmaker I-3 (Sept 1885) p77.

By 1885 Osgood's series of Holiday Books, uniform with the 1881 Lucile, had grown to include include Scott's The Lady of the Lake (1882); Tennyson's The Princess (1883); Scott's Marmion (1884) and Byron's Childe Harold (1885), with Scott's The Lay of the Last Minstrel well along in production. Most of these titles were also being offered in reduced size (and price) Library, Tremont, and Pocket editions.

In the catalog Ticknor submitted to Publishers' Trade List Annual in the fall of 1885, these offerings were combined with a few additional titles and offered under a combined series title of Ticknor & Company's Standard English Poems. This then included five sub-series: Illustrated Octavo Editions; Library Editions; Tremont Editions; Pocket Editions; and The Student's Editions (each title including an introduction and notes by W. J. Rolfe). All were offered in several bindings. Lucile was included in all but the last sub-series. With annual changes, Ticknor & Company maintained this general series through its existance. Only changes to the Lucile offerings are recorded below.

LUCILE’s ISSUED BY Ticknor & Company:

[Ticknor Illustrated Octavo Edition = 1881 Osgood Holiday Edition]. PW 1885 Christmas Number, Ticknor and Company, Boston ad: "Entirely new edition of Lord Byron's Childe Harold. With numerous new and beautiful illustrations on wood. The drawings by Harry Fenn, F. Myrick, S.I. Smith, E.W. Garrett, G. Perkins, F.B. Schell, J.D. Woodward and I.S. Ipsen. An elegant octavo volume of nearly 250 pages, beautifully bound, with full gilt edges, in box, Price in cloth, $6.00; in antique morocco or tree calf, $10.00; in crushed levant, with silk linings, $25.00. The best American artists have drawn these illustrations, producing a great number of very choice examples of wood engraving. The general supervision of the work has devolved on Mr. A.V.S. Anthony, who held the same relation to the recent magnificent editions of 'Lucile', 'Lady of the Lake', 'The Princess', and 'Marmion'." [Lucile is then described as:] "Uniform with Childe Harold in size, style and price. Each in one richly illustrated 8vo. volume, in box, at $6 (morocco or tree calf, $10 crushed levant, silk linings, $25.)" [and] "With 160 illustrations. 'The high peaks of the Pyrenees, the golden valleys of the Rhineland, and the battle-swept heights of the Crimea. 'This new edition is simply perfect,-- paper, type, printing, and especially the illustrations.'---American Literary Churchman."

1885 PTLA: Illustrated. With 160 new illustrations. Elegantly bound, with full gilt edges, in box [cloth] $6.00; tree-calf or morocco $10.00; calf or morocco, inlaid mosaic $12.50; crushed levant, silk linings $25.00.

1886 PW Christmas Number: ad for "The Lay of the Last Minstrel" in entirely new illustrated octavo edition supervised by A.V.S. Anthony, Lucile and four other titles are uniform in style and price. Lucile "with 160 illustrations. The high Pyrenees, the golden Rhineland, and the battle-swept heights of Crimea." In box. Price, in cloth $6; in full morocco, padded calf or tree calf, $10; in crushed levant with silk linings, $25.

1886 PTLA: Illustrated. With 160 new illustrations. Elegantly bound, with full gilt edges, in box [cloth] $6.00; antique morocco, flexible calf, or tree-calf $10.00; Spanish calf $11.00; crushed levant, with silk linings $25.00. These choicest editions of the great modern poets were drawn and engraved under the care of A.V.S. Anthony. Each in one vol., 8vo, elegantly bound, with full gilt edges, in a neat box.

1887-1888 PTLA: Illustrated. With 160 new illustrations. Elegantly bound, with full gilt edges, in box [cloth] $6.00; antique morocco, flexible calf, or tree-calf $10.00; Spanish calf $11.00; crushed levant, with silk linings $25.00. These choicest editions of the great modern poets were drawn and engraved under the care of A.V.S. Anthony. Each in one vol., 8vo, elegantly bound, with full gilt edges, in a neat box.

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Tremont Edition. PW 1885 Christmas Number: Lucile is also listed among the: Tremont Editions, each in 1 vol., 16mo, illustrated. With red lines and gilt edges. In box, $2.50; half calf, $4; tree calf, antique morocco, flexible calf or seal, $6. [and] Pocket Editions, Each in 1 vol., Little-Classic size. With thirty illustrations. Elegantly bound, $1; half calf, $2.25; antique morocco, flexible calf, or seal, $3; tree calf, $3.50.

1885 PTLA: 1 vol. 16mo. Beautifully illustrated. With red lines and gilt edges, $2.50; half calf $4.00; antique calf, tree-calf, flexible calf or seal $6.00.

1886-1888 PTLA: 1 vol. 16mo. Beautifully illustrated. With red lines, beveled boards, and gilt edges in box, $2.50; half calf $4.00; antique calf, tree-calf, flexible calf or flexible seal $5.00.

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Library Edition. 1884-1890 American Catalogue. Ticknor. New cheaper ed. '87. il. O. (Ser. of octavo poets.) $3.50; tree cf., or flex. cf., $7.50.

1885 PTLA: One volume, 8vo, elegantly and uniformly bound, with all the original illustations, beveled boards, full gilt edges, in cloth $3.50; in tree calf or flexible calf, extra, $7.50.

1887 PW 24 September: "Ticknor and Company's ... New and Cheaper Editions of Popular, Standard and Illustrated Books... The Ticknor Series of Octavo Poets, Library Edition, ... Six volumes [including Lucile], elegantly and uniformly bound, with all the original illustrations, bevelled boards and full gilt in cloth. Each ... 3.50; In tree calf or flexible calf, extra ... $7.50. These are the most famous and popular editions in existence of great poems. In their original shape, they have had enormous sales, and in their cheaper form, with all their original illustrations, complete and unworn, they will have renewed popularity." [Several other titles advertised as "uniform in style and price"].

PW 15 October 1887, Weekly Record: New cheaper ed. il. O. (Ticknor's ser. of octavo poets.) cl., $3.50; tree cf. or flex. cf., $7.50.

1887 PTLA: New and Cheaper Editons of Popular, Standard and Illustrated Books.... six volumes, elegantly and uniformly bound, with all the illustrations, bevelled boards and full gilt in cloth. Each $3.50; tree calf or flexible calf, extra $7.50. These are the most famous and popular editions in existence of great poems. In their original shape, they have had enormous sales, and in their cheaper form, with all their original illustrations, complete and unworn, they will have renewed popularity.

1888 PTLA: Each in one volume, elegantly and uniformly bound, with all the original illustrations, bevelled boards, full gilt in cloth $3.50; tree calf, flexible calf, extra, or seal, extra, $7.50.

Pocket Edition.. 1885-1887 PTLA: 1 vol. Little-Classic size. Thirty illustrations. Elegantly bound. $1.00; half-calf $2.25; antique calf, flexible calf or seal $3.00; tree-calf $3.50.

1885 PTLA: One volume, 16mo, beautifully illustrated. With red lines, beveled boards, in cloth #3.50; in tree calf or flexible calf $7.50.

1888 PTLA: Each in one volume, Little-Classic size. Handsomely and appropriately bound, with many fine illustrations. In cloth $1.00; half-calf $2.25; basket pattern, antique calf, flexible calf or seal $3.00; tree-calf or padded calf $3.50; in half-seal, French-board sides, marbled edges, in leatherette box. Sold only in sets of 7 vols. Per set $10.50; in full stamped seal, gilt edges, in leather box to match. Sold only in sets, per set $20.00.

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Last revised: 12 August 2023