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This firm was the first major publishing
house that printed the Peck books. The first edition of
Peck's most famous title, Peck's Bad Boy and His Pa was
published by Belford, Clarke in 1883. It published Peck
books between 1880 and 1890. Apparently Belford bought the
rights in 1883 to the Peck's Bad Boy newspaper columns for
$1000.
The Belford brothers emigrated from Ireland to Toronto in
1857. Charles Belford (1837-1880) was involved in the
newspaper business and was editor of both The Leader and
later the Toronto Mail. In 1876 he joined with his two
brothers Alexander (Aleck) and Robert to form the Belford
Brothers. This firm lasted two years and upon Charles'
withdrawal because of ill health, the remaining brothers
partnered with G. M. Rose in February, 1878 to form the
publishing house of Rose-Belford Publishing Company.
George Maclean Rose (1829-1898) was a native of Scotland.
His early training was as a printer. He was involved in
the printing trade as a named partner in the Hunter Rose
and Company firm. That firm carried on as a
printer/publisher for a number of years.
Alexander and Robert Belford left the Rose-Belford
Publishing House in 1879 and with James Clarke formed
Belfords, Clarke & Co.
In March, 1879 Belfords, Clarke & Co. advertised for
agents in Toronto at 60 York St. By August, 1879, the firm
had left Toronto and had settled in Chicago. The firm
failed as of January, 1880 because of business dealings in
Toronto. Assignments to creditors were made at that time.
In March, 1880 a new outfit, Belford, Clarke & Co. was
operating as a publisher.
The firm established a New York branch which was run by
Robert Belford. Financial difficulties forced the company
into receivership in 1889. An agreement with creditors
allowed the company to continue with the New York branch
being called the Belford Company and the Chicago branch
continuing as Belford, Clarke & Company. It officially
went out of business in 1892.
Alexander Belford went on to run the Chicago publisher,
Morrill, Higgins & Co. Of interest, W. B. Conkey got
all of the Morrill, Higgins' plates. These plates included
the George W. Peck book plates that Morrill, Higgins had
gotten earlier from Belford, Clarke & Co.
(A significant number of reference materials claim that
the Belfords and James Clarke left for Chicago in 1875 but
this is clearly erroneous. It appears that the post-1937
references all are citing "Cheap Book Production" written
by Raymond Shove - without attribution. Most likely this
errant statement was copied by a number of successive
"researchers". Contemporaneous newspaper articles note
that the 1879 date of the Chicago immigration is correct
and the Belford Clarke & Co. was established in 1880.
Belford, Clarke and Company published seven George Peck
solo authored books. It also published books written by
Peck and others. Of the Peck only books six were first
editions and one was a second edition. They are listed
just below.
The first edition George Peck books that it published and
the date of that first Belford, Clarke publication:
Peck's Sunshine 1882
Peck's Compendium of Fun 1883
Peck's Bad Boy and His Pa 1883
Peck's Bad Boy , No. 2 (The Grocery Man and Peck's Bad
Boy) 1883
Peck's Boss Book 1884
Peck's Fun 1886 (This is a different book than the earlier
Peck's Fun)
How Private Geo. W. Peck Put Down the Rebellion 1887
Peck's Irish Friend, Phelan Geoheagan 1887
Non first edition Peck books
Peck's Fun 1880
In 1883 Belford Clarke and Co. published Mirth for the
Million: Peck's Compendium of Fun. This oversized 544 page
book cost $2.75 in cloth and $3.50 in sheep. Other copies
were published in 1886 and 1889. A number of other
publishers printed this volume in the 1880's. By 1888 the
Belford, Clarke and Company book was $1.00.
Belford, Clarke and Co. published these books in a number
of different formats, both in hardcover and wraps.
In 1889 seven books were published in the Caxton Edition.
How Private Peck was not included in this series but
Peck's Compendium of Fun was. In 1889 the Household
Library, a series in wraps included six Peck books. How
Private Peck and the Compendium book were not part of
these 25 cent editions.
The 1890 format for the seven titles changed. See below
for the examples. They are both 12 mos.
Note that only the 1886 Peck's Fun book (not the 1880
version) was published in these formats.
1889
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1890
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Peck's Fun was first published by Symes, Swain and
Company, a Milwaukee printer in 1879. One year later in
1880 this publisher printed a copy. This book consists of
copies of the vignettes of Peck's newspaper writings over
the previous ten years (1869-1879). Other copies were
published in 1882 and 1883. By May 15, 1883 this book had
75,000 copies published in hardcover and paperback. This
book differs in content from the Peck's Fun which was
copyrighted by Belford, Clarke in 1886 and edited by
Thomas W. Handford (Elmo).
Peck's Sunshine
Belford, Clarke and Company published the first edition of
this book in 1882. It was 12 mo. and published in
hardcover and wraps. Thereafter it was reprinted in 1883.
By May 15, 1883 it was in its 60,000th printing. In 1887
it was reprinted in paperback and in cloth. By 1888 it was
in its 125,000 printing.
Three different 1882 formats have been seen. The covers
and title pages are the same but the spine decoration is
different. The spine of the latest 1882 book is the same
as the spines of the 1883 Belford, Clarke books. The
copyright page of the second of the 1882 books is the same
as the later books. See below.
1882 First edition
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1882 Later
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1882 Latest
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This 1882 title page is the same for all 1882 books.
First edition 1882 copyright page
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Later 1882 edition copyright page
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1883 edition
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A new format 1887 Peck's Sunshine was published. This book
which is in wraps and cost 25 cents has not been seen.
Peck's Bad Boy and His Pa
This book is by far the most well known of all the Peck
books. The first edition was published in 1883 in
hardcover and wraps. It is considered one of the classics
of 19th century children's literature. Belford, Clarke
published copies throughout the 1880's. By 1888 it was in
its 750th thousand printing.
The book consists of numerous vignettes/adventures of "the
bad boy". It is noted in Peter Parley to Penrod, a 1938
bibliography written by Jacob Blanck describing the most
important juvenile books of the 19th century.
The first edition was published in wraps as well as cloth.
The first state of the first edition has lines above and
below the copyright notice that are 7/8" apart and has no
advertisements after page 196. Later editions have either
different spacing of the lines or no lines at all. (Per
Blanck)
1883 First edition
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1883 First edition
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1883 edition in wraps
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First edition copyright page
with lines 7/8 inch apart
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Later state with
lines 5/8 inch apart
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Later state with
no lines
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Belford, Clarke and Company published a number of later
editions of Peck's Bad Boy.
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1888 edition
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1889 edition
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1890 edition
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The Grocery Man and Peck's Bad Boy
This book was first published in 1883 in hardcover and
wraps. Later the title was changed to Peck's Bad Boy, No.
2. The 1883 editions have been seen with multiple cloth
colors. By 1888 it was in its 200th thousand printing.
1883 earliest edition: It appears that the earliest
editions of this title note "Printed and Bound by Donohue
& Henneberry Chicago" at the base of the copyright
page.
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1883 edition in wraps
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1883 title page
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1889 Edition
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Peck's Boss Book
Belford, Clarke and Company published the first edition of
this title in 1884. The unique 1884 cover has been seen in
several colors. By 1888 it was in the 50th thousand
printing. The characteristic Belford, Clarke and Company
covers for 1889 and 1890 are shown below.
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1890
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Peck's Fun (2)
The first edition of this book was published by Belford,
Clarke and Company in 1886. It was published in hardcover
and wraps. It differs from the earlier Peck's Fun in that
it was edited by Thomas W. Handford (Elmo). By 1888 it was
in its 125th thousand printing.
I have only seen an 1889 Belford, Clarke and Co. copy. I
assume the 1890 issue has the typical 1890 format. See
above.
How Private Geo. W. Peck Put Down the Rebellion (1887)
Belford, Clarke and Co. published the first edition of
this book in hardcover and wraps in 1887. By 1888 it was
in its 40th thousand printing.
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1890
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Peck's Irish Friend, Phelan Geoheagan (1887)
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.
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