This 14″ x 31″ Atkinson’s Comedy Co. poster is interesting because it actually includes the theatre name and the date for the play. Unfortunately there are a number of Uniontown Opera Houses. Thus I am unable to determine exactly where this play took place and in what year it was performed.

The Peck’s Fun shown here is a transition copy in which the title page imprint is Rose-Belford but the cover page imprint is the Rose Publishing Co. This was probably published in 1883. The Rose-Belford title page indicates an earlier 1881 publication exists. I have not seen that book.

This book is in wraps at 7 x 4.75. There are no illustrations. It has 248 pages.

It is exceedingly uncommon.

Belford, Clarke and Company, Chicago 1887-1890

The 1888 edition is the earliest I have seen. I am not sure whether this is the first edition or if there is a book with an 1887 title page. I suspect that the cover for any earlier edition is the same as the 1888 book. The 1889 and 1890 books formats are the same as the other Peck books by this publisher.

In 1888 the cloth book cost $1.00 and the book in wraps cost 25 cents.

For more information, see Peck’s Irish Friend

It is unclear whether this poster was used to advertise a play or the books or something else. Forbes and Co. from Boston produced this poster. This company also did a number of the Atkinson Comedy Co. posters. The picture of the Bad Boy however differs substantially from the other posters I have seen.

1883 Cover

For more information, http://www.georgewpeck.com/book4.html

Netherlands
Here is a 20th century edition of the Bad Boy’s Diary.
I am not sure of the publisher’s name.

For more information, http://www.georgewpeck.com/np-diary.html