Parley's Cabinet Library by Peter Parley (S. G. Goodrich)

Published by C. H. Peirce and G. C. Rand/ Rand and Mann/ Geo. C. Rand/ Geo. C. Rand & Avery

Biographical Department

1. Lives of Famous Men of Modern Times
2. Lives of Famous Men of Ancient Times
3. Curiosities of Human Nature
4. Lives of Benefactors
5. Lives of Famous American Indians
6. Lives of Celebrated Women

Historical Department

7. Lights and Shadows of American History
8. Lights and Shadows of European History
9. Lights and Shadows of Asiatic History
10. Lights and Shadows of African History
11. History of the American Indians
12. Manners, Customs, and Antiquities of the American Indians

Miscellaneous

13. A Glance at the Sciences, Astronomy, Natural Philosophy & Etc.
14. The Wonders of Geology
15. Anecdotes of the Animal Kingdom
16. A Glance at Philosophy
17. Book of Literature, Ancient and Modern, with Specimens
18. Enterprise, Industry and Art of Man
19. Manners and Customs of All Nations
20. The World and Its Inhabitants

The books published by Rand et. al. are all reprints. "Bradbury, Soden & Co." and "John Allen", published the twenty volumes in 40 paperback editions as Parley's Cabinet Library between 1843 and 1845. Subsequently either the publisher or a private binder bound them. J. E. Hickman also had published the Library.

The original projected list differs slightly from the one above. That list did not include: #16, 17, 18.
It did include:
- Romance of Commerce, or Illustrations the Nature, Uses and Extent of Trade
- Home in the Sea, or the Nature and Necessity of Civil Government Illustrated. This book appears to have been published by William Robinson in 1842 under a slightly different name: "The Young American: or Book of Government and Law; Showing their History, Nature and Necessity". There is no evidence out was ever part of this Library.
- Miscellanies

C. H. Peirce and G. C. Rand published these books in 1848. Rand and Mann published the set in 1849. Geo. C. Rand reprinted this series in 1852, 1853 and 1855. The earlier two years were co-published by Wm. J. Reynolds & Co. Geo C. Rand & Avery printed the series in 1856.

C. H. Peirce and G. C. Rand
Cloth. Dark green. Blindstamped with embossed cover pattern. Spine has gilt lettering.


Rand and Mann 1849
Cloth. Brown. Blindstamped with embossed cover pattern (several seen). Spine with gilt lettering and illustrations. 7" x 4.5".


1849 Rand and Mann (This firm published two formats with 1849 imprint page dates. This format is most likely the later one.)
1852 Geo. C. Rand
Cloth. Brown. Blindstamped with embossed cover pattern and illustrations. Spine with gilt lettering and illustrations. 7" x 4.5".
(The formats of the 1852, 1853 and 1856 editions are the same.)