Boston's Old Corner Book Store: Woodcut by S.S. Kilburn, 1870

 


An 1870 billhead for A.C. Stockin, New England agent for Harper & Bros. Educational Publications, would be a rather unremarkable document of Boston business history were it not for the woodcut in the upper-left corner. In addition to dressing up the old paper receipt, that illustration provides a window into Boston's rich publishing and bookselling history as well as an introduction to the artist who created the woodcut--S.S. Kilburn.



The engraving reveals an active corner of publishing and selling books. In addition to the Old Corner Book Store, there is Boston Map Store and A. Williams & Co., Publishers and Booksellers. Noticeably missing, though, is signage for A.C. Stockin, whose billhead hosts Kilburn's woodcut. Kilburn's choice of engraving subject seems odd in light of the fact that his client's place of business is not pictorially represented on their business correspondence paper. However, A.C. Stockin was just up the street a few blocks from the Old Corner Book Store at 135 Washington Street. Still a curious choice of imagery, the reason for which may never come to light.

Also nearby was Kilburn's office at 96 Washington Street. Samuel Smith Kilburn (1831-1903) was a 19th-century artist and wood engraver of some note in Boston. Originally from Boston, he traveled around the country before the Civil War and his sketches appeared in various publications and periodicals such as Gleason's Pictorial Magazine and Ballou's Pictorial He returned to Boston and continued his work there. He died in Newton, Massachusetts in 1903. 

Collected examples of his work are found today in the Boston Athenaeum and Museum of Fine Arts Boston. And with at least one blogger.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to open a book

Image
Cataloging books the other day, I came across an 1890s multivolume set called Messages and Papers of the Presidents . Inside one of the volumes was a slip of printed paper with a bookbinder's message: How to Open a Book . The set was published by the Government Printing Office, so they are the likely source of this piece of paper, which reprints a passage from a publication titled, Modern Bookbinding . No other bibliographical detail is included for that title, but I have found a magazine from that era, Modern Bookbinding and Their Designers . No clue, though, as to the author of this particular piece. You might wonder (I did) why there would be a need for instructions to open a book. And if you put those instructions inside the book, doesn't that defeat the purpose somewhat? Opening a book is not as easy as you might think. At least if you read these instructions and try to follow them. Here's the gist of it in the opening run-on sentence: Hold the book with its back on a
Read more

A Bookaholic and Bibliophile in Ukraine

Image
A favorite piece in my Bibliophemera collection is an unused postcard illustrated by Ukrainian artists Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv. It features two interesting, whimsical creatures embracing each other while maintaining engagement with their books. Cat-like and bird-like, one in high heels and one barefoot, one with a long tail and prominent ears and one with tail feathers and no visible ears, both with beaks, and both with books. They can’t put their books down even in this intimate moment. Appropriately, they are labeled Bookaholic and Bibliophile. Might they even be an imaginative rendering of the artists themselves? Romana and Andriy were both born in Lviv, Ukraine in 1984 and continue to live and work there. The illustration on the postcard is a fitting depiction of their artistic lives where books and their illustrations comprise their passion for illustration, book design, and writing. Together, they started Art Studio Agrafka in Lviv where they have produced award-win
Read more

Henry Altemus Company - Philadelphia

Image
Having recently corresponded with Frank DeFreitas over at Antiquarian Holographica about certain historical sites in Philadelphia, I guess the Philly force was with me yesterday when I was out scouting for books. I found a decent copy of The Story of Young Benjamin Franklin , by Wayne Whipple (Henry Altemus Company, Philadelphia, 1916). Whipple wrote a series of children's books portraying famous Americans such as Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin. He also wrote about American icons such as the Liberty Bell and the American Flag. I might have passed on the Franklin book if not for what was tucked inside as a bookmark--a contemporary brochure from the publisher, Henry Altemus. There's a little character at the top of the first page, standing next to a row of books and with a book in hand, he exclaims, An Altemus book and nothing to do until tomorrow. Oh, joy! The brochure opens up into a front-and-back listing for Altemus' 20th Century Books for Boys and Girls. One side lis
Read more