Wit and Humor of the Age 1883

This book is a compilation of the writings of numerous humorists of the day. It was edited by Melville Landon. The earlier printings have 776 pages. The later volumes have 774 pages. The books all include the contributions of more than fifty different people. Among others Mark Twain, Melville Landon and Artemus Ward are represented. Twain was not happy about his work appearing without authorization in a number of Landon's compilations. In fact, in one instance he sued a publisher of one of the reprints of this book. For details see: The Droolings of an Idiot by Mary Boewe.

George W. Peck has eight different vignettes in this volume. See below.

Three later titles were published that are essentially reprints of most of the contents of this book.

Hot Stuff by Funny Men has the first 546 pages and The Library of Wit and Humor has volumes that have the first 438, 546 or 615 pages of Wit and Humor of the Age.

Comic Hits by Famous Wits includes the first 615 pages of the 774 page previously published Wit and Humor of the Age.

This title was copyrighted in 1883 by L. W. Yaggy. Yaggy owned and managed the Western Publishng House. It was the largest subscription publisher in Chicago. It published its own books in Chicago but outside of Chicago it used various publishing branches that had copies of the plates of the book being published in Chicago.

A number of imprints have been seen. I suspect that there are quite a number not as of yet known.
Western Publishing House 1883 (first edition)
Huffman and Johnson, Lexington, Ky. 1884
Law, King and Law, San Francisco 1884
Eastern Publishing House, Philadelphia 1884, 1885
Law, King and Law, Chicago 1887
G. S. Cline, Des Moines 1887, 1888, 1889
Ross Publishing House, Albany 1887, 1888, 1889
Central Publishing House, Pittsburg 1888
R. S. King, Chicago 1889
George S. Cline Publishing House, Chicago 1889
The King Publishing Company, San Francisco 1890
Star Publishing Company, Chicago 1890, 1892, 1901

Eastern Publishing House 1884
Law, King and Law Publishing House 1887
G. S. Cline 1888 This publisher also published this title in 1888 with the more commonly seen cover that is shown in the above two books. This Cline version has the same title page and contents as the Cline book below.
Central Publishing House 1888
Advertising cover
George S. Cline Publishing House 1889
R. S. King Publishing Co. 1889
The King Publishing Company 1890
Star Publishing Company (pre-1901)
Star Publishing Company (pre-1901)
Star Publishing Company (post-1901) This book has a copyright of 1901 by R. W. Patton.
Advertising covers

Here are the eight little George W. Peck Vignettes that are included in this volume.