New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-22
A BIG PUBLISHING HOUSE.
GROWTH OF THE FIRM OF HARPER &
BROTHERS.
OVER SEVENTY YEARS OF PRINTING BOOKS
CHANGES WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE

CHANGES WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE
DURING THAT TIME
Within three years the great publishing house
Of Harper & Brothers will reach three-quarters of
a century of life From the time of the founda-
ton of the firm 10 the present many changes have
taken place. The four men who started the little
Office in DOver-st. did most of the work with their
own hands, brought new ideas into their business
and extended the plane of legitimate publishing,
until their house stood prominently in the front
rank, have all been dead ten years. The
work which was begun by the first generation has
passed to the hands of the second and the third
Where fifty years ago a few hundred volumes
were printed and published, many thousands are
now scattered throughout the country. But Har-
per & Brothers have been so long before the
public that the mature growth of later years has
attracted less notice, perhaps, than the vigorous
energetic, nervous development of the days before
the war. II is difficult to appreciate the magni-
tude of the present business Perhaps it is quite
impossible, except by comparison and contrast.
j. d J. Harper was the name over the door of
the two young printers who in Sl7 opened their
establishment in Dover.st James was the elder
being born in 795. John was two years younger.
Both had served apprenticeship at their trade
James was considered to be the most rapid and
sl<ilful pressman in NewYorlS, while his brother
was known an accurate ~compositor and proof
reader Their first work was given TO them by
Mr. Duyckinck. In August of that year they
completed for him 1000 copies of SenecaS Nor
ais Joseph Wesley Harper made partner
in 1929 and in 1926 Fletcher. the youngest of
the four brothers, entered the firm.
LIFE PARTNERSHIP BEGUN.
Already the brothers had become so successful
that their firm the largest in the city. And
yet at that time they employed less than fifty
men, while ten small hand-presses sufficed to do
che printing Of the establishment. They had
found it necessary in 1925 TO move to No. so
Cliff-st. for better accommodations In 1873 the
firm name was changed to its present form.
Harper & Brothers Seven years later the bust
ness had increased TO such an extent that several
buildings on both sides of the street were occu-
pied by the firm. Harper d Brothers were now
well known everywhere. Within ten years they
building large structure in Franklin Square.
extending from Pearlst. back 10 the Chff-st.
buildings. At this time despite the immense
advantages gained by the then wonderful i'm
provements in machinery, presses, stereotyping
and facilities for binding Harper Il Brothers were
unable easily to do all the work which was pour
ing in upon them. The beginning of the second
of the house came in the form of an APP
parent calamity. On December 10, 1858, the new
the loss Of fully 81 100000
There was published in the January number
of Harper's Magazine" for S54 an editorial
REGULARLY characteristic of the four brothers.
1t was in the shape of apology TO the readers
of the publication To those who had known the
men and had followed the lines of their achieve
ments during the last thirty or thiry-fve years
the apology must have stood as pledge of greater
things to come. The Article is modest In the
extreme, but there is scarcely sentence in it
which does not give an assurance Of unchecked
vigor, sturdy determination and total lack of
discouragement. $" For the first time since the
establishment of 1Iarper's New Monthly Maya
zne,'" the editorial begins, the publishers find
it necessary TO apologize for delay in its delivery
and for deficiencies in its mechanical execution
Then follow brief sketch of the fire, an
estimate of the loss. sketch of the history of
the firm and warm expression Of gratitude for
the sympathy shown by the press. by the houses
with which the firm had dealings and by the
people.
HOW THE BUSINESS HAD GROWN.
The editorial is the authority for the statement
that this publishing house was, before the fire
broke out the largest in the world. This result
had been brought about in scarcely more than
three decades. OF all the departments, that of
the machinery, printed volumes, bindery, presses,
everything within them was swept away, with the
single exception of the plates valued at 100000,
which were stored in the vaults below the streets
The ten hand-presses and fifty employees Of
s25 had been replaced in 1887 by twenty-four
hand presses and corresponding increase of labor.
But in 1S53 there were in operation thirty three
Adams power-presseS, twelve of which were kept
working day and night, while four new ones had
Just been fitted up for the new monthly series of
Harper's story books. Each press made 5000 i'm
pressions day, or printed 100000 emo. pages.
Some idea of the vast increase of work being done
may be gathered from the fact that at the time
of the fire there were employed in the establish
ment between 500 and 600 mon, women, boys
and girls. The difference becomes still more
striking when one considers that each new press
fed by boy or girl was capable of doing
seven times the amount of work done by the old
band-press and that at the time when the senior
partner was learning his trade two men did only
one-tenth of the hand-preSs work of one boy or
girl at power-press.
There had been printed and circulated by Harper
a. Brothers up TO December 10, 653. as far as
could be Judged by careful estimates, l,549 WORKS
in 2,02s volumes, 1872 being original and 81
republshed The volumes were in all sizes, the
editions running from 500 to 10000 copies'
The fire destroyed 30 new volumes IN process
of publication, and about l,oOO Ola NolumcS oel's
reprinted At that time $50 hands were en-
ploved in the bindery, and 10000 copies OF
magazines were daily in process of binding
FIFTEEN YEARS OF PROGRESS
If one looks ahead about fifteen years from the
time Of the destructive fire, he finds that thirty
five Adams presses were in constant use for book
printing only, and that eight cylinder Hoe presses
,vare needed TO attend the printing OF Harper
Weekly Ninety-six men and women, notwlth-
standing the great saving in labor, were employed