Sheldon and Company, New York City
Sheldon, Lamport & Blakeman
Sheldon, Blakeman & Co.

Smith Sheldon (1811-1884) was the founder of Sheldon and Co.

Initially Sheldon worked in Albany for about 17 years in the dry goods area. He relocated to New York at the behest of some "prominent Baptists" for the purpose of organizing a publishing house. His publishing career began when he purchased the interest of Law in the firm of Lamport, Blakeman and Law. The latter firm had succeeded Cornish, Lamport and Company which succeeded Nafis and Cornish.

Thus, in the spring of 1854 Sheldon, Lamport and Blakeman was established. It soon set up shop at 115 Nassau Street. After its founding, it bought out the interest of another local publisher, Lewis Colby and Co. With Colby's religious book list and the school book list of Lamport, Blakeman and Law, the new firm had a great start. (Some imprints noting Sheldon, Lamport and Co. in this time frame have been seen.)

Lamport retired in 1856 and the firm became Sheldon, Blakeman & Co. In 1859 Blakeman joined Albert Mason to form Blakeman & Mason and Sheldon & Company was established,

Isaac Sheldon, Smith Sheldon's son, had been admitted to the firm as a partner in 1858. Other partners at that time included Melancthon M. Hurd and Hezekiah Shailer. In 1864 Hurd left the firm and joined Houghton to form Hurd and Houghton.

In 1861 Sheldon took over the extensive book list of Pratt, Oakley and Co., a firm with a large educational title list.

Sheldon became well known for its school books, religious volumes, and juvenile series. Part of his success certainly came from the timely purchasing of other publishers' stock/plates. The Colby purchase was noted above. Sheldon bought many of the plates of Phillips, Sampson & Co. in 1858. This included the incredibly popular Rollo Series' titles. It purchased many Blanchard and Lea, Pratt, Oakley & Co., Mason Brothers and Gould and Lincoln titles as well.

The company mostly published educational books in the 1870's and 1880's and finally stopped publishing altogether in 1897.

Here is a billhead from 1859.

Addresses:
115 Nassau Street (1854-1862)
335 Broadway (1862-1865)
498-500 Broadway(1865- January, 1871)
677 Broadway and 214 and 216 Mercer Street (Late 1870-1875)

Sheldon was noted to have two locations (498 Broadway and 677 Broadway) at the end of 1870. The 498 Broadway store was closed as of February 1, 1871.
8 Murray Street (1876-1884)