Collins & Brother, New York

Isaac Collins founded the predecessor of this house in the 18th century. In 1834 Benjamin and Stacy Collins restarted the bankrupt Collins and Hannay firm as B. and S. Collins. John Keese joined the firm in 1836 and the name was changed to Collins, Keese & Company.

Chronologically this house thereafter became Collins, Brother & Company, Collins & Brother, Robert B. Collins and then Collins & Brother again. In 1884 the latter company was succeeded by Charles Collins when Robert B. Collins retired.

B. & S. Collins (1834-1836)
Collins, Keese & Company (1836-1842)
Collins, Brother & Company (1842-1847)
Collins & Brother (1847-1850)
Robert B. Collins (1850-1857)
Collins & Brother (1857-1884)
Charles Collins (1884-1890)

1835-1837-230 Pearl Street
1838-1856 254 Pearl Street
1856-1862 82 Warren Street
1863-1866 84 Leonard Street
1867-1870 106 Leonard Street
1871-1876 370 Broadway
1879-1883 414 Broadway

Collins & Brother was the seventh publisher to print Arthur’s Tales for the Rich & Poor Series. The six titles were published chronologically by Baker & Scribner, Charles Scribner, Wm Holdredge, R. T. Young, J. M. Fairchild & Co., and Hubbard & Burgess.

Collins & Brother published no other titles by T. S. Arthur. These titles obviously are reprints, the first editions being printed by Baker & Scribner.

In 1863 Walton Burgess, previously a named partner at Hubbard & Burgess, joined the Collins & Brother firm. How the series ended up at Collins & Brother is unknown but it is fair to think that Walton Burgess was responsible. Collins announce the publication of this series in 1864.

Tales for the Rich and Poor
1. Keeping up Appearances; A Tale for the Rich and Poor
2. Riches Have Wings ; A Tale for the Rich and Poor
3. Rising in the World; A Tale for the Rich and Poor
4. Making Haste to be Rich; or, The Temptation and Fall
5. Debtor and Creditor; A Tale of the Times

Four formats have been seen.

The Collins & Brother books are the only ones of this series that have the second illustrated title page (shown below).

Format 1:
Cloth. Blindstamped. Gold gilt illustration and lettering on the spine. 6" x 4".
(This format is the same as the Hubbard & Burgess books in this series.)

Format 2:
Cloth. Green and blue seen. Blindstamped. Gold gilt illustration and lettering on the spine. 6.5" x 4.5". This format has the 84 Leonard Street address (1863-1866) on the front ad page but the 106 Leonard Street address (1867-1870) on the title page. Thus this format is probably from about 1867.

Format 3:
Cloth. Green. Blindstamped. Gold gilt illustration and lettering on the spine. 6.5” x 4.5" This format has the 106 Leonard Street address on the front ad page (1867-1870).

Format 4:
Cloth. Line drawn decoration on the front cover. The spine is the same as the earlier Collins & Brother book except for a slight change of the decoration on the top/bottom of the spine. 6.5” x 4.5”.

This later format has the 1867-1870 address on the title page and on the ad page. Thus that is when it was published.