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 ; 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.
2011-10-29 星期六去一家旧书店,每本书都是一元钱,勿论软硬。就挑了几本硬皮书,其中的一本,是林语堂1937年在纽约蒋迪图书出版公司出版的《生活的艺术》(The Importance of Living)第一版的第十八次印刷,因为林语堂的前十七次印刷的时间地点,都在本书的次页有清楚的记录,还有林语堂出版的其他著述,包括中文的读物,也都有介绍,唯独这第十八次印刷,没有时间显示,根据推断,应该是1938年9月。同时期林语堂给赛珍珠翻译的水浒传写的英文序言,学究气十足,不忍猝读,可是他给自己的这本书写的序言,就自然流畅,十足的下了功夫。由此可见林语堂的好面子,和为人斤斤计较之一斑。 另外两本是1913年由纽约考利耶父子图书出版公司发行的国家史专著系列中的两本高校教科书专版。一本是由耶鲁大学的日裔历史学教授浅川贯一根据《日本政府史》改写的《日本国史》(The History of Nations 7 Japan)。一本是由内布拉斯加大学欧洲史教授付灵(Fling)根据法文原著改写的《法兰西史》(The History of Nations 9 France)。比较难得的是这两本书中,有很多彩色插图和战争场面的描写,尤其是日本国史,保持了原汁原味的日俄战争之后,日本脱亚入欧不可一世的雄心。 三本是小说,1910年纽约McLoughlin Brothers图书出版公司发行的查尔斯狄更斯的《圣诞节的故事》(Stories of Christmas Time),1918年费城JB Linpincott Company发行的摩洛克小姐(Miss Mulock)的童话故事《博朗尼探险记》(The Adventures of a Brownie),和1920年纽约McLoughlin Brothers图书出版公司发行的华盛顿欧文1832年写的《阿尔罕柏拉故事传奇》(Stories and Legends of the Alhambra)。几本书中的彩色和黑白插图,都非常精细。 一本是1937年出版的《新教圣歌》(The New Church Hymnal),收集了当时的教会歌曲595首。还有一本是1967年为纪念美国著名地质学家莱沃森而专门出版的的《石油地质学》(Geology of Petroleum),数十年一直被视为世界地质经典。 再有一本是1903年出版的儿童故事集,可惜品相不好,就没有买。