G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS.
—This firm was founded in 1837 by the late George Palmer Putnam, who was born at Brunswick, Maine, in 1814 and died in 1872. The London House was established in 1841. Some years after the death of Mr. George Palmer Putnam, the firm was changed into a corporation under the laws of the State of New York. Since 1880, the President of the corporation has been Major George Haven Putnam, who was born in London in 1844.
Educational books, that is to say, books for the use of higher grade students, have been included in the Putnam list, but common school books have not been included. The first book coming under the description of “educational” published by the house was The Tabular Views of Universal History, compiled in 1832 by the late George Palmer Putnam.
The present firm consists of Major George Haven Putnam, Irving Putnam, Sidney Haven Putnam, Edmund W. Putnam, and George Palmer Putnam, under the firm name of G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
A. S. BARNES & COMPANY.
—The business of this firm was begun by Mr. A. S. Barnes about 1837 at Hartford, Conn., but soon moved to Philadelphia, Pa., where the title of the firm was changed to A. S. Barnes & Burr, Mr. Burr being a brother-in-law of Mr. Barnes. A few years later the business was moved to 51 John Street, New York City. The name of Burr disappeared from the firm early in its New York days, and the title became A. S. Barnes & Company. After a few years at 51 John Street, the business was moved to 111–113 William Street, where it remained until 1890, when the textbook publications were purchased by the American Book Company. During the period between the establishment of the business in New York and 1890, Mr. Barnes took in as partners, in the order named, his son Alfred C. Barnes, Henry W. Curtis, Charles J. Barnes, a nephew, and Henry B. Barnes, Edwin M. Barnes, Richard S. Barnes, and William D. Barnes, all sons of A. S. Barnes. At the time of the sale of the business to the American Book Company, the partners of the firm consisted of the five sons of A. S. Barnes, and Charles J. Barnes of Chicago.
In 1837, Mr. A. S. Barnes published a series of mathematical books written by Professor Charles Davies. Other well-known publications of the house were Monteith’s Geographies, Barnes’ Histories, Parker and Watson’s Readers, Barnes’ Readers, Steele’s Science Series, and Maxwell’s Grammars.