Huestis & Cozans, New York
P. J. Cozans, New York

Not all book publishers were part of society’s best.

Philip J. Cozans was born in Canada in 1828. The firm of Huestis & Cozans was established in 1850 at 104 Nassau Street in New York City. Cozans' partnership with C. P. Huestis dissolved in 1853 but during those three years the firm was a prolific publisher of children’s/juvenile chap books as well as valentines and fancy stationary. Cozans carried on the publishing business. He also continued to sell stationary and valentines. He was one of the founders of the Brooklyn Eagles professional base ball club. In 1866 he became the treasurer of the National Association of Base Ball Players Professional. That situation ended badly as he used his position to embezzle funds to help out his publishing and stationary business. He was allowed to repay the money which he did. He died in 1896.

Charles P. Huestis was a bookseller, an engraver and a publisher from as early as 1841. In the early 1840’s he mainly was a bookseller and engraver. He was arrested in 1842 for distributing obscene publications. Apparently Huestis was the middle man of a scheme in which customers would come to his bookstore for certain titles. He then would procure them and sell to these customers. He was well known as a valentine card producer. He published a “Valentine Writer” for several years starting in the 1840’s.

Huestis published a number of children’s books as C. P. Huestis, Publisher but it unclear if these were in series form or not. Many of there titles however were later printed by Huestis & Cozens and Philip J. Cozans in series form. Huestis, by himself or with Cozans, was at 104 Nassau Street from the early 1840’s until 1853.

After he left Cozans he continued to publish cards, valentines and stationary.

It appears that the titles written by “Uncle Philip” were written by Cozans and not the other more well known “Uncle Philip”, Francis Lister Hawks.

ADDRESSES/DATES
104 Nassau Street C. P. Huestis ca. 1843-1850
104 and 106 Nassau Street Corner of Ann St or 104 Nassau Street (Huestis & Cozans) 1850-1853
116 Nassau Street--- 1853-1855 (Philip J. Cozans)
107 Nassau Street —1856-1861 Philip J. Cozans)
122 Nassau Street —1861-1867 (Philip J. Cozans)

These firms published three T. S. Arthur titles.
Stories for my Young Friends
Stories for Good Boys
Stories for Good Girls

Stories for My Good Friends is a reprint. The contents of this title were divided up to form the “Good Boys” and "Good Girls” volumes. Thus there is no original content in any of these three books but the latter two titles had not appeared before.

Stories for my Young Friends was published in 1853 first by Huestis & Cozans and then by P. J. Cozans. It is one of six volumes in Cozans' 'Pictorial Juvenile Library.

It appears that the Huestis & Cozans book was only published in cloth wheres as the P. J. Cozans’ Arthur title was published in cloth and board covers.

160 pages. 6” x 4.5”
There was a gilt edge book (50 cents) as ell as a plain edge book (40 cents).

Here is the back cover from a broad book in this series.

Stories for Good Boys and Stories for Good Girls are both part of the six title Uncle Philip’s Library for Good Boys and Girls. Both of the Arthur books have the same format. These titles were published between 1856 and 1861.

Board covers. 5.5” x 4.5"