2011-11-12

今天又弄来两本旧书，一本是由创立于1898年的美国少儿读物出版公司Grosset & Dunlap于1904年10月首次发行的美国女作家Gene Stratton-Porter（1863-1924）的《Freckles》的初版，书中插图是Earl Stetson Crawford （1877-1965）设计的，除了整页的黑白插图之外，很多书页的边角上，插有一些人物花鸟虫鱼草木羽毛工具的图案。一本是美国畅销书作家John Habberton（1842-1921）1876年初版的《Helen‘s Babies》和1882年出版的《Mrs Mayburn’s Twins》的合订本《Helen‘s Babies & Mrs Mayburn’s Twins》，出版的年代不详，书脊有一点儿破损，加一点浆糊，才给修理好。但是根据书末出版商做的订书的广告，Hurst & Company, Publishers, 395-399 Broadway, New York，以及《Helen's Babies》1881年再版的说明来看，该书的发行日期，应该就在1882年以后，但至少不应该晚于1899年。因为在该公司1899年出版的另外一本书的订书广告中，纽约百老汇大街395-399号，也同样是该公司的地址。

下面这两段，是有关出版商的历史的，看起来有一点儿乱，涉及了至少纽约市的三个地址（122 Nassau Street，135 Grand Street，354 Fourth Avenue），但没有一个，提及百老汇大街395-399号的。虽然从地图上看，距离都不远。抄下来，暂作存疑。

From The Publisher's Weekly, 105:p432 (February 9, 1924): THOMAS D. HURST, founder of the firm of Hurst & Company (1871-1919), died at his home in Brooklyn, February 2nd, in his eighty-first year. He was born in England in 1843. In his early business life he was an electrotyper, having established the business which he eventually sold to F.A. Ringlet, one of his employees. In 1871, he started as a publisher and bookseller in Nassau Street, specializing in cheap editions of standard works of which he was one of the pioneers. This line he built up to important dimensions, and when the Lovells, John D. and Frank, formed the Unite States Book Company, he leased his plates as did almost every other publisher of competitive editions to the new corporation on a royalty basis. When this organization failed, Mr. Hurst's plates reverted to their owner, and once again he became an active publisher. He also founded the Argyle Press for the printing and binding of edition work, and this concern did the manufacturing of the famous pirated reprint of the "Encyclopedia Britannica" made by Henry G. Allen and associates. The Argyle Press was finally sold to H. Wolff In 1893. With him his two sons, George D. and Richard, were associated for many years.

Firm opened in 1871 at 122 Nassau Street; that its plates were leased to Lovell in 1890 but returned in 1893 at which time Hurst sold the Argyle Press to Harris Wolf but continued to publish; located at 135 Grand Street in 1900 [but this seems incorrect as there is some evidence of presence at that location in 1895 and firm evidence by 1897; it may have relocated as part of the 1893 transactions]; in 1902 Reilly & Britton of Chicago took over distribution in the midwest and far west; in 1909 acquired A. C. Gunter Co. and in 1919 is located at 354 Fourth Avenue. Cameo Editions of the Poets sold at $.30, Arlington Editions at $1 (DLB 49). PW 1897 Christmas Bookshelf ad places firm at 135 Grand Street.