J. M. Stoddart & Co., Philadelphia

Joseph Marshall Stoddart (1845-1921) worked for J. B. Lippincott Company. He was an editor of Lippincott's Magazine.

The earliest publishing history about Stoddart that I have found is when he was with the Evans, Stoddart firm in 1870. This house was publishing in 1870 and early 1871.

In April, 1871 Stoddart left the firm of Evans, Stoddart and Company which was located just up the block at 740 Sansom and established J. M. Stoddart & Co. at 734 Sansom Street. William B. Evans continued as a publisher at the 740 Sansom address

Stoddart also established with George Maclean in 1872 the Maclean, Stoddart & Co. publishing house. This firm was located at 733 Sansom. It was established for the purpose of printing the weekly, To-day (The New People's Illustrated Weekly). This paper included numerous short stories by authors of the day (including T. S. Arthur). The Maclean, Stoddart firm was dissolved in 1873.

Stoddart continued in the publishing business and purchased a number of the plates of E. H. Butler. Maclean was later involved in the Bible publishing business.

The J. M. Stoddart Co. firm published a number of T. S. Arthur books, reprints and first editions, trade and subscription books. The Arthur books were first noted in 1871 and appeared to have been sold by subscription only.

Cast Adrift (First edition)
Danger (First edition)
Little Gems from the Children's Hour
Orange Blossoms (First edition)
Ten Nights in a Bar-Room
Three Years in a Man-Trap (First edition)
T. S. Arthur His Life and Works by One Who Knows Him Best (First edition)
Woman to the Rescue (First edition)
Wonderful Story of Gentle Hand and Other Stories (First edition)

First editions:
The Wonderful Story of Gentle Hand and Other Stories 1871. Priced at $2.00
This book contains a number of short stories written by Arthur. This was first advertised in October, 1871.

Cloth. Several colors noted. Appliqué on the cover. It is 4 to. (8.5” x 7”) and 144 pages. Numerous full page and partial page illustrations. This volume was noted as a subscription book.

As of this time, four different appliqués have been seen (three shown here). Any priority is unknown.

Orange Blossoms, Fresh and Faded (First edition- 1871 copyright /undated title page)
Co-published W. Gibson, Jr. Boston, Geo. Maclean, Boston.
It appears that the first impression only lists these co-publishers on the title page. Later editions note different co-publishers. See below.
Three formats noted:
Crown octavo, gilt and inlaid side stamp- $2.50
Crown plus gilt edge $3.00
Crown Octavo fine turkey morocco $4.50
Green and maroon cloth have been noted. 8” x 5.5”.

Sold only by subscription.
The contents of this book are not original but rather appeared previously in Arthur’s periodicals in the 1850’s and 1860’s.

Three Years in a Man-Trap (First edition1872 copyright and title page)
First impression lists no other publishers on the title page.
Later editions note other subscription firms on the imprint in addition to Stoddart. (See below)
This book was advertised as a companion to Ten Nights in a Bar-Room
Illustrated by Bensell
Sold as a trade book and by subscription in three formats:
Crown octavo, gilt and inlaid side stamp $2.50
Crown plus gilt edge $3.00
Crown Octavo fine turkey morocco $4.50


Below are two first editions.
Trade format was $2.00 in cloth.

Cast Adrift (first edition has title page date of 1873 with copyright 1872) 364 pages
Co-published with Geo Maclean, Boston, Wm. Gibson, Jr. NY
Also with Queen City Publishing, Cinci
Later impressions were co-published with a number of the subscription firms listed below.
Sold as a trade book and by subscription in three formats (same as Three Days in a Man-Trap):
Crown octavo, gilt and inlaid side stamp $2.50
Crown plus gilt edge $3.00
Crown Octavo fine turkey morocco $4.50

Trade format was $2.00 in cloth. This book notes 1873 on the title page. (Not a first edition based on the names of the subscription firms on the title page)

T. S. Arthur His Life and Works by One Who Knows Him Best 1873
Pamphlet, 7.25 x 5. 32 pages.

Woman to the Rescue (First edition has no date under the imprint on the title page, copyright 1874)
Co published with Queen City Publishing, Cinci, J. S. Goodman , Chicago, Douglass and Myers, New York, Geo. M. Smith and Co., Boston, A. L. Bancroft and Co., San Francisco.

This book was only published in one format.

Danger; or, Wounded in the House of a Friend (First edition-undated title page, copyright 1875)
First edition noted co-publishers Western Publishing House, Chicago, Geo. M. Smith and Co., Boston
The book pictured here is a later edition.

Little Gems from the Children's Hour (1875)
This volume consists of a number of short stories and poems from numerous authors' contributions to the Children's Hour magazine. It is 4 to., 144 pages and cost $1.00. Stoddart was the first publisher of this compilation of work under this title.

Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. This book was available for $1.25 by mail from Stoddart as early as 1872. This obviously was a reprint.

J. M. Stoddart and Co. books have been seen with a number of different co-publisher imprints. These firms are subscription houses.

Here is a fairly comprehensive list.
Queen City Publishing, Cincinnati,
J. S. Goodman , Chicago,
Douglass and Myers, New York,
Geo. M. Smith and Co., Boston,
A. L. Bancroft and Co., San Francisco
Geo Maclean, Boston,
Wm. Gibson, Jr., New York
Western Publishing House, Chicago
F. Dewing and Co., San Francisco
Myers & Paton, New York
Maclean, Gibson and Co. , New York
Maclean , Stoddart and Co New York
? Miller-Chicago
J. B. Stewart, New Castle,
A. G. Nettleton and Co. , Chicago and St. Louis
J. A. Stoddard and Co. , Chicago and St.Louis
Geo Maclean, Phil and Boston
Maclean, Gibson and Co NY
A. G. Nettleton and Co. , Chicago and St. Louis
W. D. Myers, New York