19th Century Juvenile Series

J. H. Butler, Northampton, Massachusetts

J. H. (Jonathan Hunt) Butler (1805-1878) went into the Northampton book business with his father, Simeon Butler (1770-1847) in about 1832, the firm name changing from Simeon Butler to Simeon Butler & Son. His father’s firm, Simeon Butler, was the first publishing house in western Massachusetts. With his father's death, the company became J. H. Butler.

Butler left Northampton in 1850 and moved to Philadelphia associating with Thomas Cowperthwait & Co. In about 1855 he returned to Northampton where he worked as a banker. In 1868 he worked with his brother at the Philadelphia firm of E. H. Butler

All the chapbooks that note Butler as the imprint on the cover have Metcalf as the publisher imprint on the title page. Of interest is that Metcalf also did some printing of books for Simeon Butler in the early 1800's

Butler published a number of twelve title chapbook toy series that have J. H. Butler on the cover but Metcalf title pages dated between 1835 and 1842. It is unclear whether the books were published by Butler in the same year as the date on the Metcalf title page or sometime later. The Butler titles are listed here based on the Metcalf dated title page.

I have arbitrarily divided the titles (some of which are noted in several formats) into series based on that Metcalf date.

Seven different cover patterns have been seen. Unfortunately there does not appear to be a specific cover pattern associated with a specific year. Thus the pattern cannot be used for precise dating.

The line drawn cover illustrations are not book specific.

1835

1. Pleasing Toy

5. Good Boy

6. Good Girl

9. Pictures of Animals

10. Little Present: For a Good Child

11. Shepherd Boy

No number stated but Metcalf title page dated 1835.
Natural History of Beasts

1836 20 pp

1. Pleasing Toy

2. Juvenile Poems

3. Pictures of Bible History

6. Little Rhymes; For Little Readers

8. Pictures of Animals

9. Little Present for a Good Child

9. Robert & William: Or, The Beauties of Nature

10. William Parker; or, Don't Be Afraid to be Laughed At

12. Advice to Sabbath School Children

12. Duties of Children

The titles below have no number stated but Metcalf title page dated 1836.
Several duplicate numbers are noted but are included because of the 1836 title page date.
Clearly there is more than one series for 1836.

Little Harry and the Apples
Advice to Sabbath School Children
Farmer and the Soldier by L. H. Sigourney
Lessons for Laura
Poetic Present
Duties of Children

1837 (2.5" x 4")

1. Pleasing Toy

4. Good Boy

5. Good Girl

6. Little Rhymes for Little Readers

7. Little Harry and the Apples

10. William Parker

11. Shepherd Boy

No number stated but Metcalf title page of 1837.
Duties of Children
A B C Book, with Pictures of Birds
Little Present for a Good Child

1838 (5.125" x 2.875")

3. Pictures of Bible History

4. Milk for Babes

5. Little Poems for Little Folks

6. Natural History of Beasts

7. Natural History of Birds

8. Poetic Present

10. Lessons for Laura

12. Advice to Sabbath School Children

No number stated but Metcalf title page dated 1838.
Robert & William; or, The Beauties of Nature

1839 20 pp

2. Robin Redbreast

3. Little Present: For a Good Child

4. Good Boy

5. Good Girl

6. Little Rhymes: For Little Readers

7. Lazy Ned

8. Jack Hasty

9. Miller's Wife

12. Duties of Children

No number stated but Metcalf dated title page of 1839.
More than one 12 book series was published in this year.
Poetic Stories
Seasons
Robin Redbreast
Evil of Partiality
Gift for Good Children
Harry Barnes and His Holiday
Honest John, the Sunday Scholar