Beadle's Dime Biographical Library

ON THE 20th day of December, 1860, Beadle & Co., then at 141 William Street, advertised Beadle's Dime Biographical Library No. 1, as "now ready." The booklet was of the usual Dime Novel size, that is, approximately 6½ by 4½ inches, and was enclosed in orange colored wrappers printed in black. A publishers' blurb announced that the monthly issues of these "Original, Unique and Authentic Biographies" were to consist of 100 pages and to cost ten cents. "Garibaldi, the Washington of Italy" was to be followed by John Paul Jones on January 8, Daniel Boone February 8, Admiral Lord Nelson March 8, Kit Carson April 8, and Oliver Hazard Perry (no date). As a matter of fact, Nelson and Perry did not appear at all, and the sequence and dates of appearance of the others were different. The succeeding ten numbers actually appeared monthly on the 22d day, after which the intervals were irregular until No. 15, the final number, appeared in 1865.

The wrappers of the various numbers present an interesting study. There are at least eight different types and several minor varieties. Owing to the rarity of these little booklets, only some fifty-odd copies were examined, insufficient for a definite statement that no more varieties occur.

Type I-Dime Biographical Library (Fig. 93 and Fig. 94), the first variety, has a wrapper which somewhat resembles that used on the earliest Dime Novels. The heading consists of fancy lettering surrounding the cut of a dime, and occupies about half the available space on the front cover. The first printings of Numbers 1 to 8 inclusive, carried this cover. All of them had the publishers' imprint Beadle & Co., and the address 141 William Street. It is quite possible that No. 9 also had this cover, for it came out August 22, 1861, just two days before the appearance of Dime Novel No. 28, the last novel with non-pictorial wrappers. Perhaps the two series were changed at the same time; however, I have never seen it in this form. Type I had the longest run of any of the headings.

Type II-Dime Biographical Library (Fig. 95) has its heading compressed to half its previous height, with no picture beneath it. It occurs only on No. 1, so far as I know, and represents a reprint on orange paper made after the first eight numbers had appeared apparently a trial attempt for a condensed heading which later developed into Type III. The wrapper bears the imprint Beadle & Co., 141 William Street.

Type III-Dime Biographical Library (Fig. 96), with the condensed heading of Type II but with a portrait or other illustration added below it, has been seen on Numbers 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 15, and undoubtedly occurs on Nos. 4, 5, 6, and 8 as well. All of these that I own or have examined, except No. 1 and several Nos. 12 which came from 141 William Street, have the 118 William Street address. Numbers 1 to 13, in the original issues, of course, should bear the 141 street number, since No. 13 does. The latter was issued May 31, 1862, and Beadle & Co. did not remove to 118 William Street until November 1 of that year. Any issue before No. 14, with the 118 William Street address, therefore, is clearly a later printing than the first issue of No. 13. Of the above numbers seen with the Type III heading and the 118 William Street address, none before No. 8 can have had that heading originally, for No. 8 occurs with Type I heading and the 141 street address. What the original headings of Nos. 9, 10 and 11 were, I do not know, for I have seen these only with the Type III cover and the later address which indicate reprints. No. 9 was probably originally of Type I, as mentioned above under that type. The others — Nos. 10 and 11 — were probably Type III. No. 12 was definitely Type III, since it came from 141 William Street. No. 1 in Type III is a reprint even when it has the street number 141. No. 15, of course, should have the 118 William Street address.

Type IV-Dime Biographical Library (Fig. 97) occurs only on No. 13, issued from 141 William Street, and reprinted at 118. It carries no cut of a dime on the wrapper, and only a simple type-set head — Beadle's Dime Series.

Type V-Dime Biographical Library (Fig. 98) is a special heading found only on No. 14. The type-set heading reads Beadle's Dime Biographical Library, and the cut below it is of the boy Lincoln seated by the fireplace. Beadle & Co., 118 William Street, is the publishers' imprint.

Type VI-Dime Biographical Library (Fig. 99), another special cover, occurs only on the Memorial Edition of No. 14, and was issued after the death of Lincoln, in April, 1865.

Type VII-Dime Biographical Library (Fig. 100) differs entirely from any other cover listed, and occurs only on No. 15. Not only was it not enclosed in orange wrappers — in this case they are pale cream-colored — but the whole cover is type-set, with the title of the book in diagonal lines slanting downward to the right. It was deposited for copyright in 1870, and was issued by Beadle & Co. from 98 William Street, the only one of these biographicals from that address while the firm was still Beadle & Co. The original No. 15, of which Type VII is a late edition, was enclosed in wrappers of Type III and was copyrighted in 1865.

Type VIII-Dime Biographical Library (Fig. 101) was used only on the Memorial Edition of the "Life of Ulysses S. Grant." It was issued by Beadle & Adams, from 98 William Street, and is the only number which in the early editions bore that form of the firm's name. It has a simple heading, "Memorial Edition. Price Ten Cents," and below that has the well-known picture of Grant with a short beard. It was copyrighted and issued in 1885, after Grant's death.

Numbers indicate original issues of that type. x indicates reissues.

Street addresses:
Type I. Nos. 1-8, and probably No. 9, 141 William St.
Type II. Only on No. 1. No. 141 William St.
Type III. Nos. 10, 11, and 12 and possibly No. 9, at 141. Reprints of Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 7, and probably of Nos. 4, 5, 6, and 8, at 118. No. 15, originally at No. 118.
Type IV at 118 William.
Type V at 118 William.
Type VI at 118 William.
Type VII at 98 William.
Type VIII at 98 William.

The firm name was Beadle & Co. on all types except VIII, when it was Beadle and Adams.

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