Saturday, November 10, 2012

Boxed Juvenile Set- Home Twilight Stories 1871


Boxed sets of juvenile series from the 19th century are becoming unbelievably hard to find. This is despite the fact that virtually every juvenile series published between 1860 and 1890 originally came within a box. I suppose the boxes were just too easily ruined, stepped on, eaten by the dog, etc.

Here is a four book boxed set -Home Twilight Stories- published by the Boston publisher- Gould and Lincoln. The books were all published in 1871 and thus the date of the box. The four volumes originally were copyrighted in 1867.



 These 16 mo. books were priced at 90 cents each and $3.60 for the box. (A lot of money in 1871).
No author is listed.
1. Much Ado About Nothing
2. Briery Wood
3. Hero Without Courage
4. Young Fortune Seekers

After Gould and Lincoln published the set,  James Miller, a New York publisher  also  published the four books. That was in the late 1870's


 Gould and Lincoln was one of the oldest, very well established Boston publishers during the mid-1800's.  The predecessors of  this firm included Samuel Hall (in the 1770's) and Ensign Lincoln in 1800's. The publishing house of Gould, Kendall and Lincoln was founded in 1835 by Charles Kendall, Joshua Lincoln and Charles Gould. In 1850 Kendall withdrew from the firm and the newly named Gould and Lincoln was formed. This firm had a strong run for 25 years publishing juveniles, general literature, textbooks and biography.