Creighton University

Earlier I found three of Cassell, Petter, and Galpin's subscription fascicules of Gustave Doré's illustrations of La Fontaine's fables.  Those were apparently produced and certainly sold in the USA for $.50 each.  Now I have found eight fascicules sold in London for 7d.   Apparently the publisher in both countries offered twenty-two parts.  The first two pages here are a full-page illustration numbered "II" and titled "The Wolf Turned Shepherd" and 51 with the text of the fable of the same name.  The other full-page illustrations in this segment are OR and BC.  It is surprising to me that in a time-bound subscription like this there is no indication of date.  The seller seemed to have no hesitation in proclaiming a date of 1867.  This segment finishes Fable XXIV on 72.  From the smell, one can guess that it has spent considerable time in someone's musty basement or cellar!  By contrast with the American front cover of the booklet, this British cover is much more elaborate, containing advertisements at the top, near the bottom, and along the left margin.  It places the publisher in both London and New York, whereas the American edition mentioned London only in the small print.  Whereas the American edition's inside front cover describes this very series, this British version advertises all sorts of products not produced by the publisher.  The same is true of the outside back cover.  There are even several fliers inserted inside the back-- for wind pills, organic medicine, and starch.

This British segment begins with Fable XL on 121 and ends with XLVII on 144.  It is very well preserved, without odors and with almost no foxing.  The full page illustrations, well rendered, are FG, "The Wolves and the Sheep," and "Philomel and Progne."  Advertisements on the back cover include one for "Cassell's Christmas Annual for 1867," and so we have a date for this publication.  Two of the advertisements on the back cover are for sewing machines.  The inside back cover has a set of faces advertising Cassell's new "Popular Educator."  Those in the top row represent success, while those underneath them, similar in many respects, show vices.  Are we learning to recognize personalities from physical features?

This British segment begins with Fable XLVIII on 145 and ends with LIII on 168.  It is well preserved, without odors and with almost no foxing.  The full page illustrations, well rendered, are "The Old Rat," "The Lion in Love," and "The Shepherd and the Sea."  The back cover includes an advertisement for "10,000 Christmas Presents" and a date for Cassell's own gift books: Nov., '30, 1867.  That advertisement helps to secure the date for this publication.  There is an insert at the end from Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Company titled "Practical Suggestions Concerning the Selection of a Sewing Machine for Family Use."  Here is a curiosity: this is the one number I have in common between the British and American issues.  The American #7 ran from 281 through 320.  This is roughly 40 pages, whereas the British segments were about 24 pages.  The segments were clearly differently distributed.

This British segment begins with Fable LIV on 169 and ends with LIX on 192.  It is well preserved, without odors and with almost no foxing.  The full page illustrations, well rendered, are "The Monkey and the Dolphin," "The Miser Who Lost His Treasure," and "The Eye of the Master."  The companion of the chagrined miser looks very much like Sancho Panza -- and seems just as happy!  The back cover includes an advertisement for Florence Sewing Machine Company, which proclaims its having won an award at the Paris Exposition, July, 1867.  The inside back cover announces a Cassell commentary on the Bible: "No. 1 and Part I. will appear early in 1868."  I thus date this segment to 1867.  There is an insert: "The New Seamstress: A Tale with a Moral."  Four pages of single spaced text advertising!  The inside front cover advertises Cassell's Christmas Annual for 1867: that fact confirms the date of publication for this segment.

This British segment begins with Fable LX on 193 and ends with LXVIII on 216.  It is well preserved, without odors and with almost no foxing.  I was becoming accustomed to three full-page illustrations per segment, but the full page illustrations here, well rendered, are only "The Wolf, the Mother, and the Child" and "The Lark and Her Little Ones."  I have guessed a date of 1868 for this portion because advertisements speak of publications appearing late in January.  In fact, to my surprise, many advertisements are for various forms of valentines, to be given of course in mid-February.  There are perfumed valentines and musical valentines!  Initial valentines and "mediaeval" valentines!  Mounted valentines and flowery valentines!  My!  One advertisement hawks no less than nine series -- other than this one -- done by Gustave Doré.

This British segment begins with Fable LXIX on 217 and ends with LXXV on 240.  It is well preserved, without odors and with almost no foxing.  The interior of the fascicule has become free of the jacket.  The full-page illustrations include "The Woodman and Mercury" and "The Little Fish and the Fisherman."  The first insert here offers "Answers to Correspondents" about Willcox and Gibbs sewing machines.  The first insert in the back opens with a multicolored picture of Epps's Cocoa.  A second insert shows a comely woman and advertises "Clenfield Starch."  How does she represent starch?  A curiosity of this addition is a Cassell publication advertised on the inside back cover: "Galbraith and Haughton's Scientific Manuals."  These scientific manuals cover such things as arithmetic, plane trigonometry, hydrostatics, tides, the steam engine, algebra, natural philosophy, and natural history.  "Pain Killer" continues to advertise regularly.

This British segment begins with Fable LXXVI on 241 and ends with LXXXIII on 264.  It is well preserved, without odors and with almost no foxing.  The full-page illustrations include "The Old Woman and Her Servants" and "The Horse and the Wolf."  The insert here again offers "Answers to Correspondents" about Willcox and Gibbs sewing machines.  A curiosity of this fascicule is that, with the advertisement for Willcox and Gibbs sewing machines in an insert, the back cover has an advertisement for "The Florence, the best family sewing machine in the world."

This British segment begins with Fable LXXXIV on 265 and ends with XCIII on 288.  It is well preserved, without odors and with almost no foxing.  The back cover is torn and battered.  The full-page illustrations include "Fortune and the Little Child" and "The Doctors." The insert advertises Dickens' "Household Words," "The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine," "The Young Englishwoman," and "Boy's Own Magazine."  Inside the front cover is an advertisement for Cassell's many illustrated series, the first nine of them illustrated by Gustave Doré.

I have often wondered if I could lay my hands on some of the early subscription offerings of La Fontaine fables put out in twenty-two parts by Cassell, Petter, and Galpin in New York.  Each segment cost $.50.  Here is one of three I have found.  The guess of year, 1867, is based on an online advertisement by the firm in 1867.  This segment starts with "Fable XCI" and Page 281 and finishes with "Fable CV" on 320.  The full-page illustrations are fine, particularly GGE (293).  This copy was sold by S. Walker and Company in Boston.  The covers are loose and slightly stained.  A wonderful find!

I have often wondered if I could lay my hands on some of the early subscription offerings of La Fontaine fables put out in twenty-two parts by Cassell, Petter, and Galpin in New York.  Each segment cost $.50.  Here is one of three I have found.  The guess of year, 1867, is based on an online advertisement by the firm in 1867.  This segment starts on 441 in the middle of "Fable CXLII" and finishes with "Fable CLII" on 480.  The full-page illustrations are fine, particularly "The Bear and the Amateur of Gardening" (464).  This copy was sold by S. Walker and Company in Boston.  The binding is holding up by the slightest cohesion!  The covers are slightly stained.  A wonderful find!

I have often wondered if I could lay my hands on some of the early subscription offerings of La Fontaine fables put out in twenty-two parts by Cassell, Petter, and Galpin in New York.  Each segment cost $.50.  Here is one of three I have found.  The guess of year, 1867, is based on an online advertisement by the firm in 1867.  This segment starts on 601 with "Fable CLXXXIV" and finishes with "Fable CXCI" on 640.  The full-page illustrations are fine, particularly "The Two Rats, the Fox, and the Egg" (608).  This copy was sold by S. Walker and Company in Boston.  The front cover is detached, but the binding is the strongest among the three installments that I have.  These covers are not stained.  A wonderful find!