y
 
 SAMUEL WOOD 
 
 [1760-1844] 
 
 FOUNDER OF THE HOUSE OF WILLIAM WOOD AND COMPANY
 
 One Hundred Years 
 
 of Publishing 
 
 [1804-1904] 
 
 A Brief Historical Account 
 of the House of 
 
 William Wood and Company 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 WILLIAM WOOD AND COMPANY 
 MDCCCCIV
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1904, BY 
 WILLIAM WOOD AND COMPANY
 
 One Hundred Years of 
 Publishing 
 
 WHEN a business house has had an un- 
 interrupted existence for a hundred years 
 it is pardonable that its members should 
 feel a certain pride in the fact, and considering 
 that the management has during that time re- 
 mained solely in the hands of one family, the 
 event is sufficiently unusual to justify the pub- 
 lication of a brief account of it. 
 
 The firm of WILLIAM WOOD AND COMPANY is, 
 with the single exception of the Methodist Book 
 Concern, the oldest publishing house in New 
 York. The business was founded early in the 
 year 1 804 by Samuel Wood, grandfather of the 
 present senior partner, and great grandfather of 
 the junior members of the firm. Samuel Wood 
 was born at Oyster Bay, Long Island, on July 
 iyth, 1760. Until forty years of age he taught 
 
 1251295
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 school, living at several places, including Hemp- 
 stead, Long Island, Hibernia Mills and New 
 Rochelle. Finding that school teaching could 
 not produce a sufficient income for the needs of 
 his family, he determined to embark in the busi- 
 ness of bookselling, and moved to New York 
 City in December, 1803. His first place of busi- 
 ness was at 362, Pearl Street, then the centre of 
 the book trade in New York, where, in the year 
 1804, he opened a small store for the sale of mis- 
 cellaneous books, mostly second-hand. Much 
 of his stock was purchased at the auction sales of 
 Robert McMennony, then held at the corner of 
 Wall and Water streets, opposite the Tontine 
 Coffee House. Paper stock and stationery were 
 also sold, and for a time cotton goods, consigned 
 by Almy & Brown, of Providence, were sold on 
 commission, but proving unprofitable were dis- 
 carded. 
 
 Samuel Wood soon installed a small printing 
 plant in the rear of his store, and began the pub- 
 lication of a long series of primers and juvenile 
 booklets. Believing most of the children's books 
 of the day to be unsuited to youthful readers he
 
 of Publishing 
 
 endeavored to remedy their defects, compiling 
 and writing many of them himself. They were 
 illustrated with copper-plate engravings, both 
 
 SAMUEL WOOD 
 (From an Original India-ink Draining by Dr. A lexander A nderson) 
 
 plain and hand-colored, and a little later with 
 wood-engravings by Dr. Alexander Anderson, the 
 " father of American wood engraving," whose 
 earliest work is found in these little books.
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 Samuel Wood was accustomed to carry his pock- 
 ets full of them, and to give them to children 
 whom he met. 
 
 SAMUEL S. WOOD 
 
 The first publication was a little primer, called 
 " The Young Child's A B C, or First Book." 
 It contained 16 pages, and was about three inches 
 square. The imprint is : New York | Samuel 
 Wood | 362 Pearl Street 1 1806.
 
 of Publishing 
 
 THE 
 
 YOUNG- CHILD'S 
 
 A 
 
 OR, 
 
 FIRST BOOK. 
 
 C, 
 
 PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WOOD, 
 
 NO. 362 FEAKL-5THEET. 
 1806. 
 
 FACSIMILE OF TITLE PAGE OF FIRST 
 PUBLICATION
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 In 1810 Samuel Wood moved to a larger store 
 at 357, Pearl Street, nearly opposite his first place 
 of business. In 1 8 1 5 he took into partnership two 
 of his sons, Samuel S. and John, and the firm style 
 
 WILLIAM WOOD 
 
 of Samuel Wood & Sons was adopted. A period- 
 ical called The Friend of Peace, issued under the 
 auspices of the New York Quarterly Meeting of 
 Friends (Quakers),was published at about this time.
 
 of Publishing 
 
 An agency of Samuel Wood & Sons was es- 
 tablished in 1818 in Baltimore, Md., at 212, 
 Market Street by Samuel S. Wood, and the 
 double imprint is found on the publications of 
 the house for several years following. Baltimore 
 in those days enjoyed a commercial importance 
 much greater proportionately than now, but the 
 venture was not a success and was shortly 
 abandoned. 
 
 Samuel Wood & Sons moved once more, in 
 1817, to 261, Pearl Street, a property owned by 
 Samuel Wood, and another son, William Wood, 
 was admitted to partnership, John Wood retiring. 
 The business had steadily increased from the 
 original trade in miscellaneous and second-hand 
 books to the publication and general sale, both 
 wholesale and retail, of books and general sta- 
 tionery. The "New York Readers," a series of 
 primers, spellers and readers (many of them orig- 
 inally compiled by Samuel Wood himself) were 
 for many years favorite text-books, and up to a 
 comparatively recent time were still published in 
 Philadelphia by Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfinger, 
 to whom the plates had been sold.
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 The new quarters 
 being soon out- 
 grown, the business 
 was removed to 
 temporary accom- 
 modations on Ful- 
 ton Street, while a 
 substantial five- 
 story building was 
 erected at 261, Pearl 
 Street. This build- 
 ing is standing to- 
 day, occupied by S. 
 M. Aikman & Co., 
 dealers in lanterns; 
 when first built it 
 was considered large 
 quarters to be occu- 
 pied entirely by a 
 
 26l, PEARL STREET 
 
 1817-1856 William Wood, 
 
 from the time of his admission to the firm, was 
 especially interested in medical works, and under 
 his influence particular attention was paid to this
 
 of Publishing 
 
 class of publications. 
 Results justified this 
 interest, and a con- 
 siderable part of the 
 new place was soon 
 devoted to them. 
 The store became the 
 resort of the noted 
 physicians of the day 
 such men as Drs. 
 Mott, Francis, Ste- 
 vens, Mitchell, Hos- 
 ack, and others. The 
 medical book can- 
 vasser was then un- 
 known he was not 
 to appear for another 
 fifty years and phy- 
 sicians were accus- 
 tomed to " drop in " ^ BROADWAY 
 frequently to examine 1856-1861 
 the new books, nearly all of them imported from 
 England. American medical literature had not 
 then been born.
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 In 1836 Samuel S. and William Wood bought 
 out the interest of their father, Samuel Wood, 
 and he retired from business, the firm becoming 
 Samuel S. & William Wood. For the rest of 
 his life Samuel Wood devoted himself to the 
 public charities which had always interested him. 
 He had taken an active part in founding the 
 House of Refuge, the Bank for Savings, and the 
 Society for the Prevention of Pauperism. The 
 credit for the foundation of the New York In- 
 stitution for the Blind is due to him and to Dr. 
 Samuel L. Ackerly. He was an active member 
 of the Society of the New York Hospital, the 
 Manumission Society, and other benevolent in- 
 stitutions. He died on May 5th, 1844. 
 
 In 1856 the firm removed to 389, Broadway, a 
 three-story brick building, the ground floor of 
 which was used as a salesroom. 
 
 About this time some novel means of adver- 
 tising were employed. One method extensively 
 used was the supplying of steamboat tickets to 
 the various lines running from New York City, 
 the advertisement of the house being printed 
 upon the reverse of the ticket as the considera-
 
 of Publishing 
 
 tion. Tickets were regularly supplied to the 
 steamboats Mary Powell^ Thomas Powell^ Cata- 
 
 TO BE RETURNED WHEN CALLED FOR 
 
 WILLIAM WOOD, 
 
 (Late S. S. & W. WOOD,) 
 
 . 61 AVAlili.'EU S 
 
 OST IE "W - "X" O XCBI - 
 
 W. W. offers a large stock of SCHOOL, MEDICAL & BLANK BOOKS, 
 and STATIONERY, NOTE, LETTBE & (XtpPArana, Ac. on the most favori 
 able terms. 
 Country Merchants particularly are Invited to call. 
 
 STEAMBOAT TICKET, WITH ADVERTISEMENT 
 ON REVERSE SIDE 
 
 llne^ Oregon^ and others. (A modern instance of 
 a similar practice will readily occur to every one.)
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 In 1 86 1 Samuel S. 
 Wood died, leaving 
 William Wood alone 
 in the business. For 
 something more than 
 a year William Wood 
 conducted the business 
 under his own name, 
 removing to 6 1 , Walker 
 Street. In 1863 he 
 took into partnership 
 his son, William H. S. 
 Wood, the present 
 head of the house. 
 The style William 
 Wood & Company 
 was then adopted, and 
 has since been retained. 
 
 From the time of 
 -'* his admission to the 
 
 01, WALKER STREET 
 
 1861-1872 firm Wm. H. S. Wood 
 
 advocated further specialization in the direction of 
 medical publications, and proceeded, with char- 
 acteristic energy and good judgment, to develop
 
 of Publishing 
 
 the business in this line. The wholesale handling 
 of general stationery supplies was abandoned, as 
 was also the sale of religious and miscellaneous 
 literature, and scientific and medical publications 
 became the chief concern of the house. Numer- 
 ous medical books by American authors were 
 published, while a complete stock of medical lit- 
 erature in the English language was carried, and 
 sold at wholesale and retail. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Wood conceived the idea of 
 starting a medical journal, to be conducted in the 
 best interests of the medical profession in Ameri- 
 ca, availing of modern methods as regards news, 
 and printing matter of general as well as purely 
 scientific medical interest. Dr. George F. Shrady 
 was secured as editor, and the first number of the 
 Medical Record appeared on March ist, 1866. 
 It was at first published semi-monthly, but soon 
 changed to a weekly, and its sixty-five volumes 
 are a history of medicine in America for the past 
 thirty-eight years. To Dr. Shrady is due the 
 honor of having been its sole editor continuously 
 to July of the present year a longer term of 
 service than that of any other editor of a medical
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 journal in America. To his ability and good 
 judgment the high standing and position of the 
 Medical Record among the medical profession is 
 due. He resigned his position July ist, 1904, and 
 is succeeded by Thomas L. Stedman, M.D., who 
 has for many years past held the positions of 
 assistant and associate editor. 
 
 The American Journal of Obstetrics and Diseases 
 of Women and Children, originally founded by Dr. 
 Benjamin F. Dawson in 1869, was purchased by 
 the house, and for many years was under the able 
 editorship of Dr. Paul F. Munde, and since his 
 retirement, in 1891, of Dr. Brooks H. Wells. 
 
 A pharmaceutical trade journal, New Remedies, 
 was started in 1872, edited by Dr. F. A. Castle 
 and Mr. Charles Rice, both now deceased. The 
 name of this paper was changed, in 1884, to the 
 American Druggist. It was sold to its present pub- 
 lishers in 1892. Several other medical journals 
 of less importance and principally of a special 
 character have at various times been published. 
 
 William Wood retired from active business in 
 1868, thereafter spending most of his time at his 
 country place at Mount Kisco, until his death, 
 on April gth, 1877.
 
 of Publishing 
 
 In 1872 the firm 
 moved once more to 
 the iron-front building 
 at 27, Great Jones St. 
 
 On the retirement 
 of William Wood, in 
 1868, Wm. H. S. 
 Wood took into part- 
 nership Isaac F.Wood, 
 also a grandson of 
 Samuel Wood, and Al- 
 fred S. Griffiths, who 
 for some years had 
 been " head clerk " ; 
 the only member of 
 the firm at any time 
 who was not a Wood 
 and a member of the 
 family. Isaac F. 
 Wood's interest was 
 bought out at the end 
 of three years. Mr. 
 Griffiths' interest was bought out in i 
 
 In i 88 1 the retail and jobbing department was 
 
 27, GREAT JONES STREET 
 1872-1882
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 sold to Joseph H. Vail, who had been in charge 
 of that branch of the business for many years, and 
 
 56 AND 58, LAFAYETTE PLACE 
 1882-1892 
 
 the house has since that time confined its opera- 
 tions entirely to the sale of its own publications.
 
 of Publishing 
 
 The place of business was moved once more in 
 1882 to the old Langdon mansion at 56 and 58^ 
 Lafayette Place, where for ten years the firm had 
 
 43, 45, AND 47, EAST TENTH STREET 
 1892-1899 
 
 what were probably the handsomest offices occu- 
 pied by any publishing house in this country. 
 The business removed in 1892 to quarters in the 
 building at Nos. 43, 45, and 47, East Tenth
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 Street. In 1899 still another move was made to 
 the old White residence, No. 51, Fifth Avenue, 
 
 51, FIFTH AVENUE PRESENT TIME 
 
 at the southeast corner of Twelfth Street, the 
 quarters now occupied.
 
 of Publishing 
 
 The firm at the present time is composed of 
 William H. S. Wood, and his three sons. These 
 were admitted to partnership William C. Wood 
 
 WILLIAM H. S. WOOD 
 
 in 1890; Gilbert C. Wood in 1892, and Arnold 
 Wood in 1896. For nearly twenty years Mr. 
 David S. Taber has been cashier and confidential 
 clerk.
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 A few words regarding the more important 
 publications of the house may not be amiss. 
 
 In the earlier years a large number of books on 
 religious subjects were published. The first Amer- 
 ican edition of Fox's " Book of Martyrs" (1810) 
 had nearly five thousand subscribers before pub- 
 lication, their names all duly listed in the back of 
 the volume, as was customary at the time. 
 
 The publication of Brown's Series of English 
 Grammars was begun in 1823, and is still con- 
 tinued. For the space of two generations these 
 books were the standard grammars, and were 
 used almost exclusively. Curiously enough, the 
 trend of modern methods is beginning to turn 
 again to classic style in teaching, and Brown's 
 Grammars are still amongst the most popular 
 text-books upon the subject. 
 
 The most important medical publication in 
 earlier days was Mott's " Velpeau's Surgery," in 
 three ponderous volumes and quarto Atlas, 
 under date of 1847. 
 
 In 1874 the house commenced the publication 
 of the largest medical work hitherto issued in the 
 English language, a translation of Ziemssen's
 
 of Publishing 
 
 " Cyclopedia of the Practice of Medicine," in 
 twenty-two royal octavo volumes. By special 
 arrangement with the German publishers, ad- 
 vance sheets were sent to this country and trans- 
 
 WILLIAM C. WOOD 
 
 lated under the supervision of Dr. Albert H. 
 Buck. This great collection of treatises marked 
 the most important advance in the history ot 
 medicine up to this time. In another way the
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 series was remarkable, in that it was sold only 
 by subscription, being the first medical work to 
 be marketed in this way either here or abroad. 
 Through a systematically organized canvass the 
 work was offered to the medical profession not 
 only in the United States, but also to English- 
 speaking physicians throughout the world. It 
 had a very remarkable success. 
 
 But more than any previous enterprise, the 
 publication of Wood's Library of Standard Medi- 
 cal Authors marked decisively the inauguration 
 of subscription methods of bookselling as applied 
 to medical works. The series was begun on Jan- 
 uary ist, 1879, and involved the monthly issue 
 of important cloth-bound octavo medical books, 
 in yearly sets of twelve volumes. The issue of 
 these series was continued for eight years, and 
 their sale was enormous. The idea was at once 
 adapted by other publishers to various lines 
 of popular and professional literature with equal 
 success. 
 
 In 1888 was begun the publication of the " In- 
 ternational Encyclopedia of Surgery," in seven 
 royal octavo volumes, edited by Dr. John Ash- 
 
 26
 
 of Publishing 
 
 hurst, Jr. This work marked the commence- 
 ment of international co-operation by American 
 writers in the production of medical and surgical 
 literature, and did much to place America on a 
 
 GILBERT C. WOOD 
 
 plane with European countries in scientific ad- 
 vancement in these branches. 
 
 The " Reference Handbook of the Medical 
 Sciences," edited by Dr. Albert H. Buck, consist-
 
 One Hundred Tears 
 
 ing of eight imperial octavo volumes, was pub- 
 lished during the years from 1885 to 1889, fol- 
 lowed by a supplementary volume in 1893. This 
 work was an encyclopedic dictionary of medical 
 
 ARNOLD WOOD 
 
 and allied topics, consisting of short essays, and 
 was profusely illustrated. It was without ques- 
 tion the most popular large medical publication 
 ever produced in any country.
 
 of Publishing 
 
 The "Twentieth Century Practice of Medi- 
 cine," in twenty large octavo volumes, edited by 
 Dr. Thomas L. Stedman, was begun in 1895 an d 
 completed in 1901. It consisted of monographic 
 treatises on all the special topics properly em- 
 braced by the domain of general medicine, writ- 
 ten by world authorities in the various branches. 
 
 A second edition of the " Reference Hand- 
 book," almost completely rewritten and bringing 
 the work up to date, has been completed by the 
 publication of the eighth volume, in the present 
 year. 
 
 A great number of works, mostly octavos, upon 
 the various topics included under the general 
 term " medicine," have been issued by the house 
 treatises, text-books, manuals, and essays. To 
 look back for but a few years is to realize with 
 how much better cause we of to-day can echo the 
 proverb as to "making many books." 
 
 w. c. w.
 
 UC SOUTHERN I H^ONAUJBRAR 
 
 A 000093093 3