Children’s Books 1850

The first section of this series (parts 1 - 11 was posted in July 2018) and featured books from between the 1850s to 1881.

These posts (parts 12 - 23) features books published between 1881 and 1904.

Until the mid-18th century, children's books mainly consisted of moralistic or enlightening stories propagating the religious and ethical view that hard work and diligence determines a person's life. Little consideration was given to children's reading pleasure.

Amid this trend, John Newbery (1713-1767), a London-based bookseller, took up full-fledged publication of books that were both "entertaining and useful" for children. A Little Pretty Pocket-book, published by Newbery in 1744, is said to be the first book that provided children with not only moral lessons but also entertainment. Newbery went on to publish numerous books for middle-class children in urban areas, whose number continued to increase. Newbery became well known in the United States as well; the most prestigious American award for children's literature is named after him - the John Newbery Medal, inaugurated in 1922.

The focus in children's books gradually shifted from simple moral lessons to entertainment, with techniques of expression employed specifically for that purpose. Books carrying witty illustrations or exploring children's inner life also began to appear. The mid-19th century saw the development of girls' novels and narratives of family life.

This is part 13 of an 23 - part series on children's books 1850s - 1881:

1882 The Glad Year Round for Boys and Girls:

James R. Osgood (1836–1892) was an American publisher known for his involvement with the publishing company that would become Houghton Mifflin.

A reputed child prodigy, James Ripley Osgood knew Latin at the age of three and entered college at 12 years of age. He studied at Bowdoin College in Maine.

He entered the publishing trade as a clerk in the Boston firm Ticknow and Fields and, by 1864, became a partner. It was reorganized in 1868 as Fields, Osgood, and Company. The firm inherited The Atlantic Monthly, as did James R. Osgood and Company, the firm created by Osgood and two remaining partners after Fields retired on New Year's Day 1871.

Successful book publications by Osgood & Co. included Bret Harte’s The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Stories, followed by a volume of Harte's poems and another of "condensed novels". Osgood advanced Bret Harte $10,000 for future work, but Harte never wrote another story. In 1875, Osgood published Blanche Willis Howard’s One Summer, which became a best-selling novel.

In 1878 the firm dissolved, and Osgood joined forces with Henry Oscar Houghtonto form the short-lived Houghton, Osgood & Company.

1883 Blue & Red or the Discontented Lobster:

The illustrator Richard André, born William Roger Snow on 6th March, 1834 was the eldest son of a prominent London family. He entered Cambridge University in 1854, but unknown minor infractions forced him to leave the university within the year. In 1855, after spending his large inheritance, Snow joined the army and travelled the world. He published his first work in 1860. Titled Sketches of Chinese Life & Character, it was based on his observations and experiences while living in Hong Kong. By the early 1870s, Snow had become a playwright. By 1875, both his marriage and his military career came to an abrupt end as a result of his infidelities, causing him to assume an alias.

Working as Clifford Merton, Snow began a prolific career as a writer and illustrator of children’s literature until his abandoned wife discovered his alias. After their divorce, Snow changed his name again. Thereafter known as Richard André he collaborated with the children’s author Juliana Horatia Ewing, his success as an illustrator continued on after Ewing’s death in 1885. André eventually branched out into photography and printing and became a successful businessman. He died in 1907 at the age of seventy five.