Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

While the original manuscript given to Alice, which was hand written and illustrated by Dodgson, remains with the British Library, Dodgson published the story in 1865 with accompanying illustrations by John Tenniel. The first 2,000 copies were not distributed because Tenniel was dissatisfied with the print quality. Macmillan quickly reprinted the book using this 1866 title page, with copies available as early as November 1865, making this the first "published" edition available for purchase at bookstores.  The 2,000 unbound sheets that were rejected by Tenniel were sent to the U.S. publisher, Appleton & Co., who bought the rights and used them as the first U.S. edition approximately six months later in 1866.  I was able to find hundreds of examples of different covers for this book with numerous publishers.  None, however, with the cover and/or the publisher in the book I have.  The following is some of what my opinion is based on. PUBLISHER: United States Book Company, New York and Chicago, 1895-1902 ABOUT: Organized in 1890 by John W. Lovell as a gigantic book trust. It bought up cheap reprint libraries.... In 1890 the company was incorporated in New Jersey with [3.25] million dollars.... Several satellite companies were established to distribute the books. They included: Lovell, Coryell & Company; Wayside Publishing Company; Seaside Publishing Company, the National Book Company; the International Book Company; Empire Publishing Company; the Lovell Brothers & Company; Prudential Book Company; and Lovell, Gestefeld & Company. / Within three years the bubble burst, bringing to an end the career of the flamboyant Lovell. The firm was succeeded by the American Publishers Corporation, which maintained a precarious existence until 1904. (Kurian).  "The United States Book Company was incorporated in July 1890, in New Jersey, with a capitalization of $3,250,000 in preferred and common stock, and an added issue of stocks and bonds that brought the total indebtedness to $5,000,000. New capital had to be found, the assessment being insufficient, so a mortgage loan of $1,000,000 was arranged from the Manhatten Trust Company -- on of the largest personal mortgages on record up to that time. / In funds again, Lovell began to spin off a growing number of satellite subsidiaries -- Lovell, Coryell & Co. , turning out quality books in cloth or leather; the Wayside Publishing Company; the Seaside Publishing Company; and the National Book Company, whose president was another Lovell brother, Edward. There was the International Book Company , the Empire Publishing Company, with Frank Lovell in charge; and Lovell Bros. & Co. , in which several of the clan were involved. Obviously, the Lovell brothers were milking every part of the book business on which they could lay their entrepreneurial hands, in a bewildering complex of interlocking companies that took up page after page of advertising in an issue of the American Bookseller occupied entirely by the disply of Lovell wares. / John Lovell had his own subsidiary, and of course it was the most interesting. Lovell, Gestefeld & Co. ...." The story of the pirated editions of James M. Barrie is closely associated with the story of the United States Book Co., a huge organization that combined legitimate and pirate publishing with equal aplomb. It was not in the class of Ogilvie, Optimus, Ivers, Allison or Lupton, firms for which piracy was primary. These firms pirated both the legitimate and pirate publications of the United States Book Co. … The company was initially formed in July of 1890 as a reorganization of the John W. Lovell Company, and for the first year their imprint bore the legend, “Successors to John W. Lovell Company.” While the company acquired twenty-two imprints, only a few were used. Primarily used were the Seaside Publishing Company (which included Seaside Library and Munro’s Library), National Publishing Company, International Publishing Company, Empire Publishing Company, New York Publishing Company and Hovendon Company imprints, all located at 43, 45 and 47 East 10th Street. In 1891, the Lovell, Coryell Company imprint was added. The firm declared bankruptcy and, in March of 1893 was placed in the hands of Receiver Charles Gould, who moved the company to 5 and 7 East 16th Street in May, 1893. … Meanwhile John Lovell formed a separate company, the Lovell Book Company at 52 Duane Street, and Frank Lovell established the Home Book Company at 142 Worth Street…In 1896, the United States Book Company was reorganized as the American Publisher’s Corporation, dropping all imprints but Lovell, Coryell (which was dropped in 1897) and moving to 310-318 Sixth Avenue. … In 1898, the company folded entirely, succeeded by a plate renting business for a few months. While two young employees of the company, Alexander Grosset and George T. Dunlap, fell heir to many of the printing plates, using them to found the great American reprint house that bears their name, it was another American reprinter, A. L. Burt, that ended up with the [James M.] Barrie plates. –This summary history of the United States Book Co and derivative companies is excerpted from a longer piece by Christopher Coppola on a PAH [Project Accessible Hollywood] Nation page at http://www.pahnation.com/the-pirated-editions-of-james-m-barrie/.  I noted that the illustrations in the 1865 book are the same but appear on different pages in this one.  I am very intrigued by my findings.  Indeed, one of the sources I found thought it quite possibly be a "pirated" copy - not the original 2,000 unbound pages - but as a representation of the book using these pages. How exciting....for even if this is a pirated copy - pirated copies are rare and also have their place in collectables/history. New member to this site.....NOT FOR SALE at this time.....looking for direction please and someone suggested this site. So you wanted detail......any information would be appreciated. Thank you.