Phillips, Sampson and Company

Moses Dresser Phillips (1813-1859) was a native of Charlton, Massachusetts. He worked in Worcester in the 1830's in the Clarendon Harris bookstore where he learned the book business. He moved to Boston in 1845.

Moses Phillips

Charles Sampson (1817-1859) was a named partner in the Lewis & Sampson publishing firm in the 1840's. Lewis & Sampson was located at 122 Washington Street in about 1842 until 1845. This is the same address that Phillips and Sampson was at in 1845.

The Charles Sampson in these two firms is the same person and Phillips and Sampson succeeded Lewis & Sampson in 1845.

When Lewis retired in 1845, William Lee, who had been a Lewis and Sampson employee was made a junior partner of Phillips and Sampson. He was made a full partner in 1849 and the firm name was changed to reflect that fact.

The newly formed company was one of a new breed of publishers as it sought out customers in the far reaches of the United States and not just the New Englanders and East coast types.

Two imprints have been seen
Phillips and Sampson 1845-1849
Phillips, Sampson and Company 1849-1859

Phillips, Sampson co-published a number of titles with J. C. Derby, a New York publisher. These books were printed between 1853 and 1857.

Only three addresses have been seen for these firms:
1845-1846 122 Washington Street
1847-1854 110 Washington Street
1855-1859 13 Winter Street

Letterhead 1858. Note the series that are listed on the left.

This firm founded the Atlantic Monthly in 1857. This was probably its highest achievement. It’s lowest point was probably the refusal to publish Uncle Tom's Cabin. William Lee, noted that this anti-slavery book probably would not sell very well and might antagonize existing southern customers. Lee left Phillips, Sampson & Co. in 1857 for health reasons. Both Phillips and Sampson died in 1859 and the firm dissolved. Many of its plates were purchased by Crosby, Nichols, Lee & Co.

In 1861 Lee went on to be a founding partner of Lee and Shepard.

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