Collection Overview

Summary
Arrangement
Description
Using the Collection

Note: some material may be restricted or offsite

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Subject Headings
History / Biographical Note

Collection Contents

View All
Series I: Authors--Correspondence, Contracts and Documents, 1826-1966
Series II: Eugene Exman Research Materials, 1817-1973
Series III: Printed Materials, 1851-1966
Series IV: Visual Materials, 1919-1940s, undated

Harper & Brothers Records, 1817-1929

After clicking 'Submit Request', users will login with their UNI and password (Columbia affiliates) or their special collections account (external users). Appointments are required and will be arranged according to each individual repository's policy.

Series I: Authors--Correspondence, Contracts and Documents, 1826-1966

Harper & Brothers' correspondence with their authors, consisting primarily of book contracts, but also authors' individual requests concerning the publication of their books is found here. This series also contains some personal correspondence of Brander Matthews, literary critic and professor at Columbia University, including a letter of congratulations from President Roosevelt and a fiery condemnation from Ezra Pound. It includes particularly significant amounts of material from William Dean Howells, George du Maurier, Lafcadio Hearn, and Lew Wallace. This series is arranged alphabetically by author.


Box 1 Abbey through Abbott, 1848-1936

Box 1 Adams through American, 1838-1913

Box 1 Ames through Arthur, 1834-1913

Box 1 Atkinson through Bangs, 1841-1923

Box 1 Barnes through Bayne, 1840-1929


Box 2 Beale through Benson, 1841-1923

Box 2 Bentley through Bigelow, 1840-1923

Box 2 Bill through Booth, 1843-1925

Box 2 Boughton through Buckley, 1836-1924


Box 3 Buckner through Carryl, 1840-1946

Box 3 Catherwood through Clemens, 1850-1923

Box 3 Cleveland through Collins, 1826-1930

Box 3 Collord through Crouch, 1833-1923

Box 3 Crockett through Custer, 1847-1925


Box 4 Dana through Davis, 1834-1946

Box 4 Dawson through Doane, 1834-1909

Box 4 Donnelly through Drake, 1865-1954

Box 4 Draper through Du Chaillu, 1842-1906

Box 4 Du Maurier through Dunn, 1838-1945


Box 5 Dunne through English, 1831-1930

Box 5 Ernst through Forman, 1838-1966

Box 5 Forney through Freeman, 1845-1947

Box 5 Fremont through Gibson, 1833-1949


Box 6 Gill through Griffis, 1830-1940

Box 6 Grinnell through Hastings, 1839-1965

Box 6 Haswell through Heard, 1834-1937

Box 6 Hearn, 1889-1950

Box 6 Heaton through Holt, 1842-1952


Box 7 Holton through Howe, 1845-1927

Box 7 Howells, 1885-1974

Box 7 Hoynes through Jaeger, 1838-1947

Box 7 James through Judson, 1833-1913

Box 7 Keddie through Knox, 1832-1960


Box 8 Kobbe through Lewes, 1830-1939

Box 8 Lewis through Lord, 1846-1921

Box 8 Lossing through Macbeth, 1844-1936

Box 8 McCabe through Mason, 1834-1924

Box 8 Matthews, 1843-1925


Box 9 Maturin through Minto, 1846-1921

Box 9 Mitchell through Motley, 1836-1924

Box 9 Mott through Nast, 1832-1924

Box 9 Navarro through Norris, 1845-1964


Box 10 Norton through Peck, 1833-1924

Box 10 Pierce through Putnam, 1836-1919

Box 10 Quackenbos through Ritchie, 1834-1923

Box 10 Rives through Roosevelt, 1832-1910


Box 11 Rowland through Scidmore, 1839-1924

Box 11 Scott, 1840-1923

Box 11 Scoville through Sheldon, 1833-1923

Box 11 Sheppard through Smiles, 1831-1927

Box 11 Smith through Stepniak, 1838-1926


Box 12 Stern through Synge, 1841-1932

Box 12 Talmage through Thomson, 1835-1939

Box 12 Thorpe through Thurston, 1841-1934

Box 12 Underhill through Walker, 1842-1900

Box 12 Wallace, 188-1955


Box 13 Wallace--German Copyright Dispute, 1896-1898

Box 13 Waldstein through White, 1843-1916

Box 13 Whitehead through Willson, 1841-1924

Box 13 Wilson through Zola, 1854-1928

Box 13 Autographs, undated

Box 13 Letters of Receipt, 1878-1896


Box 26 Oversize Correspondence, 1850-1905


Box 28 Special Request Materials

Box 28 Brady, Mathews--Carte de Visite, Circa, 1850

Box 28 Calling Card Proof, Undated

Box 28 Clemens, Samuel, 1900

Box 28 James, Henry, 1878

Box 28 Kemble, Frances, 1863

Box 28 Melville, Herman--Contracts, 1846-1852

Series II: Eugene Exman Research Materials, 1817-1973

This series is comprised of Eugene Exman's research on Harper & Brothers in preparation for his books, The Harper & Brothers and The House of Harper, undertaken during the 1960s. The primary dates in each section refer to the dates when the materials collected were composed, while any dates in brackets refer to the dates when the papers were compiled.

Included in the series are notes, note-cards, article excerpts, documents, photographs and references, which relate to Harper's history. The folder "Office Layout" contains drawings of various Harper buildings and interviews with former employees regarding daily working conditions in the buildings. Exman's correspondence with Harper's regarding his research, financial records relating to collecting the books that ultimately became the Harper's library, interviews with Harper's employees, and responses to inquiries during his tenure as the Harper's archivist can also be found here. It also includes his collection of dinner invitations to company dinners.

Much of the material is composed of photocopies made between 1960 and 1973


Box 14 Materials by Time Period

Box 14 1817-1967--Photocopies, 8 folders

Box 14 "Between the World Wars", 1949-1960 [1960s], 1949-1960

Materials by Subject


Box 15 Financial History, 1856-1916

Box 15 Founding Generation, 1853-1966

Box 15 General, 1843-1916

Box 15 Harper's Artists, 1871-1958

Box 15 Harper's Bazaar, 1867-1900


Box 16 Harper's Magazine, 1850-1967

Box 16 Harper's Young People, 1880-1887

Box 16 Harper's Weekly, 1857-1907

Box 16 London, 1835-1965

Box 16 Office Layout, 1890

Box 16 Publications, 1876-1965

Box 16 Textbooks, 1868-1967

Box 16 Veteran Novelists, 1867-1966

Relations with Harper's


Box 17 Correspondence--Harper's Archives, 1958-1973, 2 folders

Box 17 Correspondence--Purchases for Harper's Library, 1963-1972

Box 17 Correspondence--Research, 1936-1967

Box 17 Dinner Invitations, 1903-1943

Box 17 Interviews, 1949-1968

Box 17 Manuscript Corrections, 1837-1964 [1960s], 1837-1964

Box 17 Research Materials, 1845-1953 [1960s], 1845-1953


Box 18 Research Materials--Supplied by Harper's, 1876-1967

Materials--General, 1866-1966

Authors

Box 18 Lafcadio Hearn, 1883-1966

Box 18 Howells and Twain, 1866-1964

Box 18 Various, 1960s


Box 19 Notecards, 1810-1976


Box 26 Oversize--General, 1850s Undated


Box 18 Photographs, 1820s-1890s [1960s], 1820s-1890s

Box 18 Photographs--for Publication, 1817-1960 [1960s], 1817-1960

Series III: Printed Materials, 1851-1966

This brief series consists primarily of small books, often commemorative, and other realia dedicated to the memory of a long-time employee or celebrating one of the company's anniversaries.


Box 20 The Bookman, July 1902

Box 20 The Centennial Exhibition Number of Publisher's Weekly, 1876

Box 20 Harper Books for Boys and Girls, Fall, 1966

Box 20 The Harper Centennial, 1817-1917

Box 20 The Harper Prize Novel Competition, 1932

Box 20 Harper's Round Table, 1918-1920

Box 20 In Memoriam Eugene F. Saxton, 1884-1933

Box 20 In Memoriam Frederick Lewis Allen, 1890-1954

Box 20 Our Heritage, 1947

Box 20 The Price of Survival, 1967

Box 20 The Story of Harper's Magazine, 1817-1917

Box 20 Stuart Little , 1945

Box 20 Pamphlets, 1851-1972

Series IV: Visual Materials, 1919-1940s, undated

In this series are drawings and photographs of Harper & Brothers' authors and of the Harper Brothers themselves; colophon designs; an oil painting of the Harper & Brothers building on Franklin Square, and a poster advertising English Society by George Du Maurier.


Box 21 Authors--Drawings, 1919 undated

Box 21 Authors, Photographs, undated, 2 folders

Box 21 Colophon Designs, 1920s-1940s undated, 1920s-1940s, undated, 2 folders


Box 25 Colophon Designs--Oversize, 1920s-1940s undated, 1920s-1940s, undated


Box 21 Harper Brothers--Photographs, undated

Box 21 Harper Buildings--Drawings, undated


Box 22 Harper's Building--Oil Painting


Box 25 Posters--English Society and -Trilby (by Engel) --George Du Maurier , 1894

Box 25 Poster - Harper's Magazine, 1891


Flatbox 26 Group Photographs - Oversize , 1938-1961


Volume 237 Scrapbook--Henry Hoynes--50th Anniversary Letters, 1933

Series V: Financial Records, 1833-1963

This series consists of financial documents, which record the yearly budgets of the publishing company, real estate and assets owned, salaries and royalties paid, debts taken on, and stock issued and sold, and trade lists and catalogues.

Subseries V.1: Loose Correspondence and Documents, 1860-1963

This subseries contains correspondence relating to non-normative financial matters, such as lawsuits, and the reorganization of the company in 1899 and 1923. Also included are materials labeled "Old Stock," which concern the financial troubles experienced by the company and the sale of stock undertaken by the company under the direction of J. P. Morgan


Box 23 1860-1921, 5 folders


Box 24 1922-1963 undated, 1922-1963, undated, 4 folders

Box 24 Stock Certificates, 1903-1938


Box 25 Oversize Financial Documents, 1900-1930s


Box 27 "Old Stock Papers", 1917-1923, 5 folders

Subseries V.2: Ledgers and Financial Volumes, 1859-1943 Undated, 1859-1943, Undated

Included here are the many ledger books that detail the everyday workings of Harper & Brothers. General journals, in which notes on everyday operating procedure were kept, span from 1896 through 1940. The series contains royalty ledgers kept from 1881 to 1926, and separate English royalty ledgers from 1901 to 1919, and 1921 -1926. General ledgers and account books are here, as well as ledgers dealing with preferred and common stock.


Volume 123 Bond Register, 1900-1904


Volume 115 Common Stock, 1900


Volume 114 Common Stock, 1913-1920


Volume 116 Common Stock, 1924-1931


Volume 130A Contracts Volume 1


Volume 131 Contracts Volume 2


Volume 132 Contracts Volume 3


Volume 133 Contracts Volume 4


Volume 134 Contracts Volume 5


Volume 135 Contracts Volume 6


Volume 136 Contracts Volume 7


Volume 137 Contracts Volume 8


Volume 138 Contracts Volume 9


Volume 139 Contracts Volume 10


Volume 140 Contracts Volume 11


Volume 141 Contract Books--Index to 1-11


Volume 230 Copyright Records, 1875-1905 1917-1933, 1875-1905, 1917-1933


Volume 155 Copyright Records, 1903-1923


Volume 231 Copyright Records, 1934-1941 Renewals, 1906-1914, 1934-1941, 1906-1914


Volume 92 English Royalty Ledger, 1901-1908


Volume 96 English Royalty Ledger, 1908-1913


Volume 67 English Royalty Ledger, 1913-1919


Volume 97 English Royalty Ledger, 1921-1926


Volume 120 Expense Ledger, 1924-1927


Volume 121 Expense Ledger, 1928-1930


Volume 122 Expense Ledger, 1934-1936


Volume 1 General Cash Book A


Volume 2 General Cash Book 4


Volume 3 General Cash Book 5


Volume 4 General Cash Book 6


Volume 5 General Cash Book 7, 1916-1921


Volume 6 General Cash Book 8, 1921-1926


Volume 7 General Cash book 9


Volume 8 General Cash Book 10, 1926-1930


Volume 9 General Cash Book 11, 1930-1934


Volume 10 General Cash Book 13, 1939-1941


Volume 11 General Cash Book--Payments 23, 1939 November -1931 May, 1939


Volume 12 General Cash Book--Payments 24, 1931 June -1933 March, 1931


Volume 13 General Cash Book--Payments 25, 1933 April -1934 December, 1933


Volume 14 General Cash Book--Payments 26, 1935 January -1936 December, 1935


Volume 15 General Journal 1, 1896 November -1899 July, 1896


Volume 16 General Journal 2, 1899 August 1-December 5, 1899


Volume 17 General Journal 3, 1899 December -1900 September, 1899


Volume 18 General Journal 4, 1900 October -1901 March, 1900


Volume 19 General Journal 5, 1901 April -1901 September, 1901


Volume 20 General Journal 6, 1901 October -1902 February, 1901


Volume 21 General Journal 7, 1902 /March-1902 July, 1902


Volume 22 General Journal 8, 1902 August -1903 May, 1902


Volume 23 General Journal 9, 1903 June -1904 February, 1903


Volume 24 General Journal 10, 1904 March-1094 December, 1904


Volume 25 General Journal 11, 1904 December -1905 August, 1904


Volume 26 General Journal 12, 1905 September -1906 May, 1905


Volume 27 General Journal 13, 1906 June -1907 February, 1906


Volume 28 General Journal 14, 1907 February-1907 September, 1907


Volume 29 General Journal 15, 1907 October -1908 April, 1907


Volume 30 General Journal 16, 1908 May -1909 June, 1908


Volume 31 General Journal 17, 1909 June -1910 September, 1909


Volume 32 General Journal 18, 1909 December -1910 September, 1909


Volume 33 General Journal 19, 1910 October -1911 November, 1910


Volume 34 General Journal 20, 1911 September -1912 August, 1911


Volume 35 General Journal 21, 1912 September -1913 September, 1912


Volume 36 General Journal 22, 1913 October -1914 August, 1913


Volume 37 General Journal 23, 1914 September -1915 September, 1914


Volume 38 General Journal 24, 1915 October -1916 October, 1915


Volume 39 General Journal 25, 1916 November -1917 October, 1916


Volume 40 General Journal 26, 1917 November -1918 September, 1917


Volume 41 General Journal 27, 1918 October -1919 June, 1918


Volume 42 General Journal 28, 1919 July -1920 June, 1919


Volume 43 General Journal 29, 1920 July -1921 May, 1920


Volume 44 General Journal 30, 1921 June -1922 October, 1921


Volume 45 General Journal 31, 1922 November -1924 February, 1922


Volume 46 General Journal 32, 1924 March-1925 February, 1924


Volume 47 General Journal 33, 1925 March-1926 February, 1925


Volume 48 General Journal 34, 1926 March-1927 March, 1926


Volume 49 General Journal 35, 1927 April -1928 March, 1927


Volume 50 General Journal 36, 1928 April -1928 December, 1928


Volume 51 General Journal 37, 1929 January -1929 December, 1929


Volume 52 General Journal 38, 1930 January -December, 1930


Volume 53 General Journal 39, 1930 December -1931 December, 1930


Volume 54 General Journal 40, 1952 January -1932 December, 1952


Volume 55 General Journal 41, 1933 January -December, 1933


Volume 56 General Journal 42, 1934 January -1935 January, 1934


Volume 57 General Journal 43, 1935 February-1936 February, 1935


Volume 58 General Journal 44, 1936 March-1937 March, 1936


Volume 59 General Journal 45, 1937 April -1938 April, 1937


Volume 60 General Journal 46, 1939 June -1940 May, 1939


Volume 61 General Journal, 1940-1941


Volume 62 General Ledger, 1896-1899


Volume 71 General Ledger, 1899


Volume 79 General Ledger 1, 1900-1902


Volume 80 General Ledger 1--Alphabetical Index, 1900-1902


Volume 78 General Ledger 2, 1902-1905


Volume 81 General Ledger 2--Alphabetical Index, 1902-1905


Volume 65 General Ledger 3, 1905-1907


Volume 66 General Ledger 4, 1907-1909


Volume 68 General Ledger 5


Volume 85 General Ledger 5--Alphabetical Index


Volume 69 General Ledger 6, 1914-1918


Volume 86 General Ledger 6--Alphabetical Index


Volume 70 General Ledger 7, 1919-1923


Volume 87 General Ledger 7--Alphabetical Index


Volume 72 General Ledger 8, 1925-1928


Volume 84 General Ledger 8--Alphabetical Index


Volume 73 General Ledger 9, 1929-1931


Volume 83 General Ledger 9--Alphabetical Index


Volume 74 General Ledger 10, 1932-1934


Volume 82 General Ledger 10--Alphabetical Index


Volume 76 General Ledger 11, 1935-1937


Volume 75 General Ledger 11--Alphabetical Index


Volume 91 General Ledger 12, 1938-1940


Volume 77 General Ledger 12--Alphabetical Index


Volume 127 Ledger 1899-1900 (volume 1), 1899-1900


Volume 129 Ledger 1899-1900 (volume 2), 1899-1900


Volume 232 Ledger, by Author--Inventory and Amounts Due, 1916-1921


Volume 233 Ledger, by Author and Book, 1904-1911


Volume 234 Ledger--Bookstores, Sales to, 1922-1929


Volume 235 Ledger--Costs Accounted by Book, 1883-1900


Volume 236 Ledger--Costs Accounted by Book, 1887-1906


Volume 128 Ledger--London, 1899-1900


Volume 144 Memorandum Book 1, 1856-1859


Volume 145 Memorandum Book 2, 1859-1867


Volume 146 Memorandum Book 3, 1859-1875


Box 29 Memorandum Book 4, 1873-1879

Treated for mold in 2020


Box 30 Memorandum Book 5, 1879-1894

Treated for mold 2020


Volume 149 Memorandum Book 6, 1883-1891


Box 31 Memorandum Book 7, 1887-1893

Treated for mold in 2020


Box 32 Memorandum Book 8, 1892-1899

Treated for mold in 2020


Volume 222 Memorandum Book, 1926-1943


Volume 153 Periodical Statements, 1888-1889


Volume 118 Preferred Stock, 1906


Volume 117 Preferred Stock, 1906-1923


Volume 119 Preferred Stock, 1923-1934


Volume 150 Priority List


Volume 213 Publication Records--Internal--Volume 1, 1894-1917


Volume 214 Publication Records--Internal--Volume 2, 1886-1893


Volume 223 Records--"Return to R. M. Hall", 1933-1934


Volume 64 Royalty Accounts, 1881-1888


Volume 98 Royalty Accounts, 1888-1894


Volume 89 Royalty Accounts, 1895-1896


Volume 90 Royalty Accounts, 1896-1897


Volume 93 Royalty Ledger, 1884-1901


Volume 94 Royalty Ledger, 1897-1900


Volume 63 Royalty Ledger--A-H, 1900-1902


Volume 88 Royalty Ledger--A-J, 1903-1905


Volume 95 Royalty Ledger--K-Z, 1903-1905


Volume 104 Royalty Ledger--A-J, 1905-1909


Volume 103 Royalty Ledger--K-Z, 1905-1909


Volume 102 Royalty Ledger--A-J, 1909-1912


Volume 101 Royalty Ledger--K-Z, 1909-1912


Volume 100 Royalty Ledger--A-J, 1912-1915


Volume 99 Royalty Ledger--K-Z,1912-1915


Volume 112 Royalty Ledger--A-J, 1915-1918


Volume 111 Royalty Ledger--K-Z, 1915-1918


Volume 110 Royalty Ledger--A-J, 1918-1921


Volume 109 Royalty Ledger--K-Z, 1918-1921


Volume 108 Royalty Ledger--A-J, 1921-1925


Volume 107 Royalty Ledger--K-Z, 1921-1925


Volume 106 Royalty Ledger--A-J, 1925-1926


Volume 105 Royalty Ledger--K-Z, 1925-1926


Volume 152 Salary Ledger, 1883-1889


Volume 154 Schedule of Assets and Liabilities, 1899


Volume 221 Stock Holder's Minute Book, 1905


Volume 130 Transfer Ledger, 1900 December 31-19, 1900


Volume 113 Transfer Ledger, 1921-1928 May, 1921-1928


Volume 124 Transfer Ledger, 1936-1941 May 1, 1936-1941


Volume 125 Twain Ledger, 1912-1921 Nov 1, 1912-1921


Volume 126 Twain Ledger, 1928-1938 Nov, 1928-1938

Subseries V.3: Catalogues and Book Lists, 1833-1915

TheDemarest Harper's Catalogue, included in this series, lists works published by Harper's between 1817 and 1879. This series also contains many of the catalogues and book lists issued by Harper's between 1847 and 1915.


Volume 157 Book List, 1853


Volume 158 Book List, 1855


Volume 159 Book List, 1856


Volume 160 Book List, 1857


Volume 161 Book List, 1857 (copy 2), 1857


Volume 162 Book List, 1857 (copy 3), 1857


Volume 163 Book List, 1858


Volume 164 Book List, 1858 (copy 2), 1858


Volume 165 Book List, 1859


Volume 166 Book List, 1865


Volume 171 Book List, 1869


Volume 172 Book List, 1870


Volume 192 Book List, 1887


Volume 188 Book List, 1888


Volume 193 Book List, 1888


Volume 194 Book List, 1888 (copy 2), 1888


Volume 189 Book List, 1889


Volume 190 Book List, 1889


Volume 195 Book List, 1890


Volume 196 Book List, 1891


Volume 197 Book List, 1892


Volume 198 Book List, 1892-1894


Volume 200 Book List, 1893


Volume 201 Book List, 1893


Volume 202 Book List, 1894


Volume 203 Book List, 1894-1898


Volume 204 Book List, 1898


Volume 205 Book List, 1898 (copy 2), 1898


Volume 206 Book List, 1898 (copy 3), 1898


Volume 173 Catalogue--American, 1870

(American Trade Directory)


Volume 220 Catalogue--Demarest


Volume 183 Catalogue--Descriptive, 1881


Volume 191 Catalogue--Educational, 1890-1894


Volume 226 Catalogue--Harper's Illustrated, 1847


Volume 227 Catalogue--Harper's Illustrated, 1848


Volume 216 Catalogue--Harper's Standard Set, 1915


Volume 186 Catalogue--Holiday, 1884-1889


Volume 187 Catalogue--Holiday, 1885


Volume 215 Catalogue--Russel Catalogues, 1897-1899


Volume 207 Catalogue--School and College Textbooks, 1894


Volume 208 Catalogue--School and College Textbooks, 1895


Volume 217 Descriptive Holiday Bulletin, 1890


Volume 142 Harper Publications, List of--Volume 1, 1869-1908


Volume 143 Harper Publications, List of--Volume 2, 1869-1908


Volume 224 Harper's Interesting Works, 1836


Volume 225 Harper's New and Standard Works Catalog, 1845


Volume 219 Harper's Readers, 1890


Volume 229 Harper's Special Lists, 1853-1854


Volume 218 Harper's Weekly, 1860 Jul 14, 1860


Volume 210 Illustrated Schools and Textbooks, 1897


Volume 209 List--Descriptive, 1896


Volume 212 List--Descriptive, 1900


Volume 211 List--Publications, 1900


Volume 228 Illustrated Catalogue of Valuable Standard Works, 1850


Volume 199 Select List of Publications with Author's Portraits, 1893


Volume 156 Trade Lists, 1833-1869


Volume 169 Trade Lists, 1858-1872


Volume 167 Trade Lists, 1865-1892


Volume 168 Trade Lists, 1866-1868


Volume 170 Trade Lists, 1867


Volume 174 Trade Lists, 1870-1876


Volume 175 Trade Lists, 1872


Volume 176 Trade Lists (Descriptive Lists), 1874


Volume 177 Trade Lists, 1875


Volume 179 Trade Lists (Descriptive Lists), 1876


Volume 178 Trade Lists, 1877-1882


Volume 180 Trade Lists (Descriptive Lists), 1879-1880


Volume 181 Trade Lists, 1881


Volume 182 Trade Lists (Descriptive Lists), 1881 (copy 2), 1881


Volume 185 Trade Lists, 1882-1904


Volume 184 Trade Lists, 1883-1888