THE COST BOOKS OF TICKNOR AND FIELDS AND THEIR PREDECESSORS

1832-1858, by Warren S. Tryon '25 and William Sharvat. Bibliographical Society ofAmerica, 1949- pp. j + 508. $15-00.

This is a scholarly reference and source book, one on which the editors must have spent many, many hours. Historians of American literature should be grateful to the Bibliographical Society of America for producing this book of limited interest. The cost books cover the manufacturing records of the firm of Ticknor and Fields and their predecessors for the first 26 years of their existence. Many of the original entries are condensed and abbreviated. The editors, however, have re-arranged these and added sufficient notes to make them clear to the lay reader.

Besides the classics of early American Literature like The Scarlet Letter and Walden, one will find that the firm published sermons, lectures, school readers, and other books not of general interest.

The firm was established in 1832 by William D. Ticknor from Lebanon, New Hampshire, a cousin of Dartmouth's George Ticknor, who opened a book shop with John Allen. After various changes this firm in 1854 became known as Ticknor and Fields and so remained for ten years. Their work was so distinguished in format that all the leading American writers sought them for publishers.

The introduction o£ 44 pages states the difficulties of the editors in deciphering the cost books, gives a brief history of the firm and explains any changes made by them in the arrangement.