Newport Vintage Books

Publisher Histories

Home

Web Store

Vintage Books

Dustjackets

Old Time Radio
Hollywood Film Vault
Books
eBay Auctions
Photo Galleries
Series Gallery
 
Subjects
Adventure
Antiquarian
Classics
Mystery
PhotoPlays
Sci-Fi 
Westerns
 
Children's
Boys Series
Girls Series
Tots Series
Dime Novels
Illustrated
Reprints
 
Ephemera
Movie Memorabilia
Vintage Magazines
 
About
Consignment
Service
Shipping
Website
 
Collector Tips
First Editions
Publisher Imprints
Reprints
FAQs
 
Links
Book Shows
Sites
E-Mail
Chat Groups
 
Help
Book Condition
Collector Tips
FAQ
Grading
References
 
Dating Books First Editions Imprints Publishers Reprints
A-E F-J K-Q R-Z

 

Farrar & Rinehart:
 

 

 
 

 

Houghton-Mifflin:

Henry Oscar Houghton [1832-1895] owned Riverside Press in Cambridge, then the leading printer in America. The Riverside Press, whose motto was "Do it well or not at all", printed both Webster's Unabridge Dictionary and Worcester's Dictionary. Highly unusual, not only because rivals were using him, but because most large print jobs were still being exported to London at half the cost. Such was Houghton's reputation as a printer.

In Boston, his publishing house was H.O. Houghton & Co. His principle out-put was two magazines, "London Society" and "The Riverside Magazine for Young People", edited by Horace Elisha Scudder. Scudder introduced to Houghton the leading children's authors of the day, Hans Christian Anderson, Sarah Orne Jewett, Kate Wiggins. The famous "Riverside Bulletin" was issued by Scudder.

In New York, Houghton formed a partnership with Melancthon Hurd and operated as HURD & HOUGHTON. Their most important work was the publication of the Globe Edition of the works of Dickens.

In 1868 Hurd and Houghton purchased "The Journal of American Social Sciences". With the journal came Francis Jackson Garrison, son of William Lloyd Garrison.

 

In 1872, Henry Houghton was elected mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts and George Harrison Mifflin became a partner for $15,000 after having worked several years in the press factory. For all practical purposes, from this time on, the publishing house was actually run by the triad of Scudder, Mifflin and Garrison.


In 1878 they purchased what was left of Osgood's firm and took the name HOUGHTON, OSGOOD & CO. But Osgood's debts were staggering, so the company was dissolved May 1880 and re-established as HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO. Osgood reneged on the deal and started another firm. He took with him much of the Houghton list, including Mark Twain.


In 1880 Ticknor, Fields, and Houghton merged the operations, combining literary excellence and the highest standards in publication in a new partnership called Houghton, Mifflin and Company.

In December 1883, Hurd & Houghton purchased two magazines from James R. Osgood, "Atlantic Monthly" and "Every Saturday", plus the plates and rights to Osgood's "British Poets" series.



Still, Houghton managed to acquire what most think was America's most distinguished list of titles and authors. By 1923, it may also have been the largest.

The famous "Riverside Literature Series" of paperbound books revolutionized publishing by proving there was a market for paperbacks.

Houghton died in 1895. Mifflin took charge.

In 1905 Edward Rittenhouse Houghton headed the firm. In 1908 he incorporated as Houghton Mifflin Co. (no punctuation).

Mifflin died in 1921 and William Spaulding took over.

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 

   

Webmaster: webadm@newportvintagebooks.com (Bay State Systems)

Last Revision June 08, 2010 10:42 PM