Sidney Babcock (S. Babcock), New Haven, Conn.
Babcock & Son, New Haven, Connecticut
Sidney Babcock's father John Babcock was a publisher in Hartford
until he moved to New Haven in 1803. He published and sold chapbooks,
almanacs, etc. His firm became John Babcock & Son in about 1815
when sons Sidney and William R. were admitted to the company. In about
1826 the firm dissolved and the name changed once again when brother
Henry entered the company. It was then Babcock & Co.
In about 1819 a Charleston, South Carolina branch was branch was
opened: S. Babcock & Co. Later in 1819 as well as 1820-1821 it was
noted as S. & W. R. Babcock. But by 1825 it was again S. Babcock
& Co. Sidney Babcock had a branch in Charleston for many years
thereafter.
The first imprints I have seen of Sidney Babcock's S. Babcock New Haven
firm were in 1827. The latest were in 1850 although reports show this
firm still open in the 1870's.
Of interest is Sidney's Press which was noted as an imprint on many of
the books. It has been seen between 1803 and 1834. Since Sidney Babcock
would have only been six in 1803, I suspect this press was actually his
father John’s creation which was named after the son.
Publications:
Babcock published numerous chapbooks in various formats. Identifying
which belong to which series and sets and when they were published is
difficult to determine because most of these little books do not state
anything about a series and have no dates or numbering. Some of the
series' lists below are incomplete and will be supplemented as more
information is obtained.
In 1820 John Babcock & Son along with its branch in South Carolina,
S. and W. R. Babcock published 24 "Books for Children".
| Casket, or the Orphan's Portion |
| Basket-Woman and the Orphans |
| Hymns for Sunday School |
| Robinson Crusoe |
| Early Instruction, or Catherine Haldane |
| Robin's Nest and His Sisters |
| Rose and His Sisters |
| Holy Bible in Miniature |
| Hymns in Prose by Mrs. Barbauld |
| Watt's Divine Songs |
| Juvenile Trial, and Stories for Children |
| Baldwin's Fables |
| Simple Ballads for Children |
| The Creation - The Attributes of God |
| Riddle Book |
| Maria, or the Ever-Blooming Flower |
| History of Caroline |
| Select Rhymes for the Nursery |
| History of Master and Miss Goodchild |
| History of Tommy Trip |
| Poems, or the Alphabet in Verse |
| Old Dame Margery's Hush a-Bye |
| History of Whittington and His Cat |
| Hermit, or the Providence of God |
 |
 |
In 1821 new titles were added but not in series form.
Subsequent to the listing above, the earliest series that I have seen
mentioned was Babcock & Son's 3 cent Toys. This 12 book series was
published in 1823. The titles are unknown.
Between 1835 and 1837 S. Babcock published "New Editions of Toy Books".
This list may actually be the 3 cent Toys noted in 1823.
| 1. Hymns in Prose, for Little Children |
| 2. Familiar Explanation; or, Simple Questions and Ready
Answers |
| 3. Morning Ride; a Present for Henry |
| 4. Little Lucy; or, The Day in the Life of a Good Girl |
| 5. Little Lessons, for Little Learners |
| 6. Four Seasons; or, Spring Summer, Autumn, and Winter |
| 7. Child's Own Story Book; a Present for Good Children |
| 8. Whales and Whaling; for Little Readers |
| 9. Description of the Elephant |
| 10. Tommy True, the Industrious Scholar; and Little Agnes |
| 11. Lessons for Good Children, in Easy Rhyme |
| 12. Juvenile Stories; for Little Readers |
Wraps. Various colors. 18-20 pages not including the covers.
Multiple black and white illustrations.
In 1839 S. Babcock published four sets of toy books with wood cuts.
No. 1 cost one cent and had 60 titles
No. 2 cost 2 cents and had 60 titles
No. 3 cost three cents and had 48 titles
No. 4 cost 6 cents and there were 48 titles
At this time the titles in these series are unknown. The only books
that identify themselves that I have seen are in set #4.
No. 4.
Little Mary; or, The Pleasant Day
Boys Book of Sports
Ladder of Learning
Whale, and the Dangers of Whaling
Wraps. Various colors. 4.5" x 3.875" (Only four titles seen at this
time.)
Toy Books
Between 1840 and 1844 Babcock published four sets of toy books. Of
Note is that in 1839 it also had published four sets. Those sets
however, as stated above, had many more titles in each series.
No. 1 or One Cent Toys
| 1. Picture Alphabet, or ABC in Rhyme |
| 2. Book of Domestic Animals |
| 3. Twelve Brothers; or, the History of Joseph |
| 4. Flowers for a Juvenile Garland |
| 5. Village Green; or, Sports of Youth |
| 6. Life of Our Savior |
| 7. Passion and Punishment; a Tale for Little Girls |
| 8. Hymns for Children, in Prose |
| 9. Sports of Childhood |
| 10. Little Book of Trades |
| 11. Book of Accidents; or, Warnings to the Heedless |
| 12. Child's First Lessons; or, Infant Primer |
A number of these titles were published previously. Most are
undated. An 1843 date in a book is noted below.
Wraps. Various colors. 8 pages not including the covers. 2.75" x 1.75".
Several; black and white woodcuts.
No. 2, or Two Cent Toys
| 1. Simple Poetry, for Girls and Boys |
| 2. Little Sisters, Emma and Caroline |
| 3. Infant Primer, or Picture Alphabet |
| 4. Infant Hymns; designed for Young Children |
| 5. Little Rhymes, for Little Folks |
| 6. Emma and Louisa; or, Wealth and Poverty |
| 7. Easy Lessons; or Buds and Blossoms of Learning |
| 8. Short Stories, with Beautiful Pictures |
| 9. Passionate Child, a Story about Little Ellen |
| 10. Bible History; or, Scripture Stories |
| 11. Poetic Gift, or Alphabet in Rhyme |
| 12. Tell Tale Stories, for Good Boys and Girls |
Some titles dated 1840, 1842 and 1884 have been seen.
Wraps. various colors. 16 pages without the covers. 2" x 2.75"
No. 3, or Three Cent Toys
| 1. Whale, and the Perils of the Whale-Fishery |
| 2. Flock of Sheep; or, Familiar Explanations of Simple Facts |
| 3. Museum of Foregn Animals; or, History of Beasts |
| 4. Child's Own Story Book; or, Simple Tales |
| 5. Child's Own Sunday Book; or Sabbath Tales |
| 6. Sweets for Leisure Hours; or, Flowers of Instruction |
| 7. Little Lucy; or, the Pleasant Day |
| 8. Little Helen; or, a Day in the life of a Naughty Child |
| 9. Sun-Flower; or, Poetical Blossoms |
| 10. Book of Bible Stories |
| 11. Little Lessons for Little Learners |
| 12. History and Anecdotes of the Elephant |
Wraps. Various colors. 16 pages not including the covers. Multiple
black and white wood cut illustrations. 4.50" x 2.875"
Books with an 1840 date have been noted although many volumes in this
format are undated.
No. 4, or Six Cent Toys
| 1. Animal Biography; or, Book of Natural History |
| 2. Mary Richmond; or, A Day in the Life of a Spoiled Child |
| 3. Instruction and Amusement for the Young |
| 4. Little Forget-Me-Not |
| 5. Snow-Drop |
| 6. Little Picture Bible |
| 7. Poetic Gift; Containing Barbauld's Hymns in Verse |
| 8. Gift of Friendship; Seasoned with Instruction |
| 9. Select and Amusing Anecdotes of Animals |
| 10. Rose-Bud; or, Poetic Garland of Unfading Flowerts |
| 11. Canine Race; a Brief Natural History of Dogs |
| 12. Pictures and Stories for the Young |
Books in this series with 1841 dates have been noted. There are some
that are undated. 6" x 3.75".
Wraps. Various colors. Multiple vignettes on the cover. 24 pages
without the four cover pages. Numerous black and white wood cuts.
A Thomas Teller Series
| Little Keepsake Story Book |
| Knowledge for Every Child; or, Simple Facts and Explanations |
| Shipwrecked Orphans 1845 copyright (written by John Ireland) |
| History of a Day; the Scholar and the Truant Contrasted |
| Stories about Whale catching and the Toils and Perils of
Whalers |
| Simple Stories in Simple Rhymes |
Thomas Teller is a pseudonym for George Tuttle.
This 12 title series was published in 1845. Only six titles are known
for certain.
Multiple illustrated plates
Wraps. Various colors. Common cover page. 5.5" x 4.5". 64 pp
Teller's Amusing, Instructive and Entertaining Tales (Teller's
Tales) Edited by Thomas Teller
| 1. Animal Biography; or, Book of Natural History |
| 1. Stories about the Elephant |
| 2. Stories about Whale Catching |
| 3. Mischievous Boy; Tricks and Troubles |
| 4. Two Friends; or, A Visit to the Sea-Shore |
| 5. History of a Day |
| 6. Simple Stories in Simple Rhyme |
| 7. Buying Experience |
| 8. Tales for All Season |
| 9. Knowledge for Every Child |
| 10. Pleasant Journey, and Scenes in Town and Country |
| 11. Parent's Offering |
| 12. Shipwrecked Orphans |
| 13. Poetic Garland |
| 14. Sandford and Merton |
| 15. Little Keepsake Story Book |
| 16. Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe |
| 17. Little Dreamer |
| 18. Hymns and Infant Minds |
| 19. Divine and Moral Songs for Children |
| 20. Parent's Assistant; or, Mother's Catechism |
Eight engraved plates. Books seen have 64 pages.
Some prefaces are dated 1845. Book #16 (Robinson Crusoe) has a preface
dated 1849.
Thus this series was probably published between 1845 and 1849.
Wraps. Various colors. Illustrated vignettes on the front cover. 4.5" x
5.75".
Teller's Juvenile Library Series
Published in 1846
1. Little Dreamer
Cloth. Blindstamped.
Details and titles are unknown. This series may just be "Teller's
Tales" with an alternative name.
In 1850 two different formats of chapbooks were published by S. Babcock.
I have not seen a catalogue listing for either series. The formats are
shown below with the titles which are known at this time.
1850a
| Pleasing Poetry and Pictures; for the Mind and Eye |
| Instruction and Amusement for the Young |
| Happy Little Edward and His Pleasant Ride and Rambles in the
Country |
| Child's New Story Book |
| Footsteps on the Road to Learning; or, The Alphabet in Rhyme |
| Mary Richmond; or, A Day in the Life of a Spoiled Child |
| Canine Race |
| Woodbine Arbor; or, the Little Gardeners |
| Juvenile Pastimes; or, Girls' and Boys' Book of Sports |
| Puzzle-Cap; or, Juvenile Riddle Book |
Title page notes 1849 while the cover has 1850 under the imprint.
Wraps. Various colors. 4.25" x 2.75".
16 pages not including the covers.
1850b
| Young Captives |
| Evergreen, A Poetical Gift for Little Folks |
| Little Scrap Book for Little Readers |
| Child's Keepsake; A Poetical Bouquet |
Wraps. Various colors. Front cover has a number of vignettes. 8
pages not including the covers. Several wood cuts. 4.75" x 3.25".
