James H. Earle, Boston

Not much is known about James H. Earle (-1906). His father was the well known minister A. B. Earle and many of A. B.'s works were published by his son. The publisher's imprint from about 1868-1901 was James H. Earle. Between 1901 and ca. 1906 it was James H. Earle & Co. He was located at 178 Washington Street from 1881 on. Previously he had been at 20 Hawley Street.

Earle published Earle's Select Library for Sunday Schools. These fifty 12 mo volumes were sold in a black walnut bookcase for $25.00. The booklist and the format is unknown at this time. This set was produced in the early 1890's.

His one and only juvenile series, Log Cabin to White House, was immensely popular.

Log Cabin to White House Series
(Log Cabin Series/ White House Series) - 1883-1890's

Format 1. Volumes 1-10
Cloth. Brown (Blue, orange, red occasionally seen but uncommon). Gold gilt letterboxes and lettering on the spine and cover. The cover is illustrated with a log cabin and the White House. The spine has a black line drawn decoration. 7.75" x 5.25". This format was seen between 1881 (non series #1) until the late 1890’s. The early 1881 and 1882 books were not part of a series at that time however.

The format of the first edition of Tact, Push and Principle is noted below.

The deluxe 1881 leather bound edition of "Log Cabin to White House" is shown below. It was a non-series edition. The title page states 178 Washington which indicates it is a later 1881 edition since the earlier issues note 20 Hawley Street as Earle's address. See note #1.

Formats 2 and 3 have covers that are common to many Earle published books although the inset pictures are generally book appropriate. I suspect that these Thayer books may have also been part of the Sunday School Library which is noted above.

Format 2. (Noted on the front cover as the "Log Cabin Series") Volumes 1-9 (excluding #4) Book #10 has not yet been seen in this format.
Cloth. Various colors seen. Cover has an inset picture of a log cabin surrounded by trees and flowers. Spine has gilt letter box and a picture of a log cabin. 8" x 5". Books with this format have been seen with title pages between 1886-1888. Catalogue pictures of these books sold as boxed sets and individually were noted into the 1890's.

Format 3. (Noted on cover and spine as The White House Series) Volumes 1, 5 and 6
Cloth. Various colors. Silver gilt lettered series name on the cover. Cover has inset of a room with a fireplace surrounded by trees and flowers (The surrounding picture is the same as Format 2). Spine has a gilt letter box with series name, title in silver gilt and a branch/leaves picture. 12 mo.
(This series was advertised as containing three books. Earliest title page was noted in 1886. Ads continued for several years but it is unclear what years this format was actually published.

NOTES:
#1 was first published in the series format 1 in 1880 but the series was not actually started until 1883. The first edition has 1881 on the title page with the 20 No. Hawley Street address. It is 478 pages in length. The preface begins with Sixteen Years ago, not eighteen years ago.

Later editions including the edition that was published for the series beginning in 1883 have a copyright of 1882 and are 483 pages. The preface states that "This book has been revised, greatly enlarged…"

In 1881 copies of #1 seen have the first format cover or a deluxe 3/4 leather bound cover.

In an interesting side note a lawsuit was brought against defendants Earle and Thayer claiming that part of this book was taken from a previous Garfield biography written by James R. Gilmore. In 1899 the court decided for the plaintiff against Earle and Thayer and awarded $11,181 in damages.(Approximately $330,000 in 2019 dollars)

#2 was first published in a non series format. The earlier editions have 1881 on the title page. The format of the first edition is different form the series format. The earliest title page date seen for a series book at this time in 1885 although it is likely 1883 dated books exist.

#3 When this book was announced in the fall of 1883, it was noted as a new book in the Log Cabin to White House Series. The earliest title page seen is 1884, presumably the first edition.

#4 This book was published in the series format as well as a clothbound edition which cost $1.00. The first series edition has 1884 on the title page. By 1887 advertisements stated that it was published in the style of the Log Cabin to White House Series but it was not actually part of the series.

#5 Earliest edition seen noted 1885 on the title page. A deluxe leather-bound book was published.

#6. This book was copyrighted by William M. Thayer in 1882 but was not published by James H. Earle as part of this series until 1886. Thayer had written an earlier "Pioneer Boy, and How He Became President" which was published by Walker, Wise & Co. and in 1863 and later by Walker, Fuller & Co, and Horace B. Fuller. In the early 1880's the book was revised, enlarged and published by John B. Alden (1883/1885) as well as Henry Bill (1882).

#7. This book has not been seen in format 1 although it was most likely published in this style.

#8. Earliest edition has 1890 on the title page.

#9. Earliest edition has an 1890 title page date.

#10. Some firms also published random Format 1 books from this set although not in an entire series: John B. Alden, Buker Publishing Company, A. G. Nettleton.
Hurst & Co. published several of these books in its Young American Library (#1, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9)
Hurst & Co. as well as Albert Whitman also published a six volume Log Cabin to White House Series that included #1, 5, 6, 8, 9 and a new book- "From Ranch to White House-Life of Theodore Roosevelt".

A five book boxed set was available as of September 30, 1886.
A six book boxed set was available in 1889
An eight book boxed set was available between 1890-1892.