Henry Bill Publishing Company, Norwich, Connecticut

Henry Bill (1824-1891) learned the publishing business from James A. Bill who owned a book publishing company in Philadelphia. He spent those formative years as a traveling subscription book salesman in the west. He returned to Norwich and opened his namesake publishing house in 1847. His firm specialized in scenic views, travel books, illustrated bibles which were mostly all subscription books. The company failed in 1896.

Advertising Covers:

Henry Bill Publishing Company only published one series that can be considered a “juvenile” set. In 1882 it published William Makepeace Thayer’s biographies on Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield. They are first editions. These titles were later part of a series published by James Earle - "The Log Cabin Series” (http://19thcenturyjuvenileseries.com/publishers/earle.html), Hurst & Co., Albert Whitman, and John Alden.

The Lincoln title is an enlargement and revision of an earlier publication. The 1863 first edition of "The Pioneer Boy and How He Became President” was printed by Walker, Wise & Co., and later by its successors, Walker, Fuller & Co. and Horace B. Fuller. (http://19thcenturyjuvenileseries.com/series/pbs_walker.html)

 

Martyr Presidents by William M. Thayer

These books were published in 1882 by Henry Bill Publishing Company. Book #3 is comprised of the other two books.

Illustrated

#1 has been seen with two title pages. One which notes: "Enlarged, revised and newly illustrated" while the other title page omits this line. In addition the book without the blurb was co-published with C. C. Wick & Co. Otherwise the books are identical. It is most likely that the "Enlarged…" line is in the first edition since the next reprint of this title in 1885 by John Alden omits this line. In addition "The Martyr Presidents" Lincoln title page also omits this line and has the C. C. Wick & Co. imprint. This conclusion however is conjecture.

It is also likely that the first edition of the Garfield book was not co-published with C. C. Wick & Co.

The earlier (?) title page.	Title page from "Martyr Presidents"

Two formats of the three books are known.
1. Fine English Muslin. Red Edges. Silk finish. 7.5" x 5.25"
2. American Morocco. Red Edges. 7.5" x 5.25"
Gilt letter boxes on the spine and the cover. The cover has a gilt illustration of the president.
(Volume 3 - 7.5" x 5.5")

The pictures below are from the “Martyr Presidents” subscription book.