D. Appleton & Company was an American publishing company founded by Daniel Appleton, who opened a

general store A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...

which included books. He published his first book in 1831. The company's publications gradually extended over the entire field of literature. It issued the works of contemporary scientists, including those of

Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest", which he coined in '' ...

John Tyndall John Tyndall (; 2 August 1820 – 4 December 1893) was an Irish physicist. His scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the physical properties of air ...

Thomas Huxley Thomas Henry Huxley (4 May 1825 – 29 June 1895) was an English biologist and anthropologist who specialized in comparative anatomy. He has become known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The stor ...

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

, and others, at reasonable prices. Medical books formed a special department, and books in the

Spanish language Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...

for the

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

market, including the works of Rafael Pombo, were a specialty which the firm made its own. In '' belles lettres'' and American history, it had a strong list of names among its authors. On June 2, 1933, D. Appleton & Company merged with

The Century Company The Century Company was an American publishing company, founded in 1881. History It began as a subsidiary of Charles Scribner's Sons in 1870, named Scribner and Company, but was bought by Roswell Smith in 1881 and renamed by him after the Century ...

Timeline

* 1813 Relocated from Haverhill to

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

and imported books from England * 1825 Relocated New York City and entered the book business with brother-in-law Jonathan Leavitt * 1831 Published first book: ''Crumbs from the Master's Table'' by

William Mason William, Willie, or Willy Mason may refer to: Arts and entertainment *William Mason (poet) (1724–1797), English poet, editor and gardener *William Mason (architect) (1810–1897), New Zealand architect *William Mason (composer) (1829–1908), Ame ...

(1719–1791) * 1848 Daniel Appleton retired; son William Henry Appleton (1814–1899) formed a partnership with his brothers, John Adams Appleton (1817–1881), George Swett Appleton (1821–1878), Daniel Sidney Appleton (1824–1890) and Samuel Francis Appleton (1826–1883) * 1849 Death of Daniel Appleton * 1857 First New York trade publisher to engage in subscription publishing * 1869 '' Appleton's Journal'' started * 1872 '' Popular Science Monthly'' magazine and ''International Scientific Series'' started by editor Edward L. YoumansInternational Scientific Series (D. Appleton & Co.) - Book Series List
publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 7 July 2023. * 1875 Original publication of the memoirs of General

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a General officer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), earning recognit ...

, one of the first such publications by a Civil War general * 1881 Relocated from Leonard Street and Broadway, to Bond Street, New York City; ''Journal'' becomes ''

Appleton's Magazine ''Appleton's Magazine'' was an American magazine about books and literature. Founded by Seymour Eaton in 1903 as ''The Booklovers Magazine'', it was purchased by D. Appleton & Company in 1904. Its name was changed to ''Appleton's Booklovers Mag ...

'' * 1890 Co-founded American Book Company, a conglomerate including D. Appleton & Company * 1894 Published ''Songs of the Soil'' by Frank Lebby Stanton * 1900 Filed for bankruptcy and sold ''

Popular Science Popular science (also called pop-science or popsci) is an interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is more broad ranging. It may be written ...

''; re-organized by Joseph H. Sears of

Harper's ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States. ''Harper's Magazine'' has ...

* 1905 ''Appleton's Magazine'' renamed ''Appleton's Booklovers Magazine'' * 1919 J. W. Hiltman named president * 1924 Purchased Stewart and Kidd, founded in 1914 * 1931 Published ''I Sailed with Chinese Pirates'' by Aleko E. Lilius * 1933 Merged with

, founded in 1881, to form the Appleton-Century Company * 1945 Sold hymn books department to Revell Publishing * 1948 Merged with F. S. Crofts Co., founded in 1924, to form

Appleton-Century-Crofts Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc. was a division of the Meredith Publishing Company. It was a result of the merger of Appleton-Century Company with F.S. Crofts Co. in 1948. Prior to that The Century Company had merged with D. Appleton & Company ...

Publishing highlights

* *'' The Red Badge of Courage'' by

Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism an ...

, 1895 *'' Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings'' by

Joel Chandler Harris Joel Chandler Harris (December 9, 1848 – July 3, 1908) was an American journalist and folklorist best known for his collection of Uncle Remus stories. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, where he served as an apprentice on a plantation during his t ...

, 1880 *''

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

'' by

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...

, 1865, first U.S. edition *''Appletons' Cyclopædia of Biography'' in 1 volume, 1856, edited by Francis L. Hawks, added American biographies to the volume edited by Elihu Rich and published in 1854 by Richard Griffin & Company (London). *''

Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography ''Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography'' is a six-volume collection of biography, biographies of notable people involved in the history of the New World. Published between 1887 and 1889, its unsigned articles were widely accepted as autho ...

'' in 6 volumes, 1887, edited by James Grant Wilson and John Fiske *'' Appleton's Railroad and Steamboat Guide'', 1847 *'' New American Cyclopedia'' in 16 volumes, edited by George Ripley and

Charles Anderson Dana Charles Anderson Dana (August 8, 1819 – October 17, 1897) was an American journalist, author, and senior government official. He was a top aide to Horace Greeley as the managing editor of the powerful Republican newspaper '' New-York Tribune ...

, 1857–1863; revised and enlarged as ''American Cyclopedia'' (1873–1876) * ''

Progress and Poverty ''Progress and Poverty: An Inquiry into the Cause of Industrial Depressions and of Increase of Want with Increase of Wealth: The Remedy'' is an 1879 book by social theorist and economist Henry George. It is a treatise on the questions of why pov ...

'' 1880 * '' Annual Cyclopedia'' for the years 1861–1901, annual *'' Johnson's Universal Cyclopaedia'' 1893, in 8 volumes edited by

Charles Kendall Adams Charles Kendall Adams (January 24, 1835 – July 26, 1902) was an American educator and historian. He served as the second president of Cornell University from 1885 until 1892, and as president of the University of Wisconsin from 1892 until 1901. ...

. The rights were acquired from Alvin J. Johnson & Co. *'' Universal Cyclopaedia'' 1900, in 12 volumes derived from ''Johnson's Universal Cyclopaedia''. Edited by

, and from 1902 by

Rossiter Johnson Rossiter Johnson (27 January 1840 – 3 October 1931) was an American author and editor. He edited several encyclopedias, dictionaries, and books, and was one of the first editors to publish "pocket" editions of the classics. He was also an autho ...

, with title Universal Cyclopaedia and Atlas *'' The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia'', 1889–1891, New Century Dictionary 1927–c. 1963 *'' Picturesque America'' by

William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the '' New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poe ...

, 1872 *Unabridged English Dictionary 1859 *works of Jonathan Edwards, 1834 (1703–1758) *science works of

(1809–1882) *''Diseases of the Heart and Arterial System'', by Dr. Robert Hall Babcock (1903) *''Diseases of the Lungs'' by Dr. Robert Hall Babcock (1907) *Memoirs of

(1820–1891) *The Works of Rudyard Kipling uthorized Editions15 Volumes (1899) *literary works of

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

(1843–1916) *art works of

Edith Wharton Edith Newbold Wharton (; ; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American writer and designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray, realistically, the lives and morals of the Gil ...

(1862–1937) *architectural works of

Stanford White Stanford White (November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American architect and a partner in the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, one of the most significant Beaux-Arts firms at the turn of the 20th century. White designed many houses ...

(d. 1906) *''Gems of British Art'', 1857 *work of

Thomas Henry Huxley Thomas Henry Huxley (4 May 1825 – 29 June 1895) was an English biologist and anthropologist who specialized in comparative anatomy. He has become known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The stor ...

, 1880 *''From the Manger to the Throne 1880—1889'' by REV. T. DeWitt Talmage, D.D. *''American Negro Slavery'' by Ulrich Bonnell Phillips, 1918 *'' The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government'' by

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...

*'' A Journey in Other Worlds'' by

John Jacob Astor John Jacob Astor (born Johann Jakob Astor; July 17, 1763 – March 29, 1848) was a German-born American businessman, merchant, real estate mogul, and investor. Astor made his fortune mainly in a fur trade monopoly, by exporting History of opiu ...

Gallery

Image:1856 Appletons Book Store 346 & 348 Broadway New York.png, Appletons' bookshop, 346 & 348 Broadway, New York, 1856 Image:1867 Appletons Railway and Steam Navigation Guide June.png, ''Appletons' Railway and Steam Navigation Guide'', 1867 Image:1870s D Appleton & Co stereoscopic views and implements Broadway NYC LC detail2.jpg, Display of D. Appleton & Co. stereoscopic views and implements, 1870s Image:Robbins & Appleton Building.jpg, Robbins & Appleton Building, New York, built 1880 (photo 2010)

References

External links

Appleton-Century MSS
* NYPL
Portraits
of William H. Appleton, Daniel Appleton, founder, John A. Appleton, George Appleton, Daniel Sidney Appleton. * Library of Congress
Photo, 2007
Second Floor Corridor. Printers' marks+Columns. Printer's mark of D. Appleton and Co. in North Corridor. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. * This has information on the firm's evolution. * Open Library
D. Appleton and Company

Finding aid to D. Appleton and Co. Correspondence at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
{{DEFAULTSORT:D. Appleton and Company 1825 establishments in New York (state) Publishing companies established in 1825 Defunct book publishing companies of the United States American companies established in 1825 Appleton family

Timeline

Publishing highlights

Gallery

See also

References

External links