Bradbury, Soden & Co., Boston

Bradbury & Soden was publishing as early as 1841. In 1841 it was the publisher of the Merry Museum which was edited by Samual G. Goodrich (Peter Parley). In 1842 it printed Nathan Hales' monthly Boston Miscellany of Literature and Fashion. Sometime in 1842 the firm became Bradbury, Soden & Co. Samuel S. Soden died in 1844 at the age of 24 and the Bradbury, Soden imprint was no longer in use after 1846. By 1847 Wymond Bradbury had joined William Guild in establishing Bradbury & Guild.

This company published one series for juveniles.

Parley's Cabinet Library by Peter Parley (S. G. Goodrich)

Biographical Department

1. Lives of Famous Men of Modern Times
2. Lives of Famous Men of Ancient Times
3. Curiosities of Human Nature
4. Lives of Benefactors
5. Lives of Famous American Indians
6. Lives of Celebrated Women

Historical Department

7. Lights and Shadows of American History
8. Lights and Shadows of European History
9. Lights and Shadows of Asiatic History
10. Lights and Shadows of African History
11. History of the American Indians
12. Manners, Customs, and Antiquities of the American Indians

Miscellaneous

13. A Glance at the Sciences, Astronomy, Natural Philosophy & Etc.
14. The Wonders of Geology
15. Anecdotes of the Animal Kingdom
16. A Glance at Philosophy, Mental, Moral, and Social
17. Book of Literature, Ancient and Modern, with Specimens
18. Enterprise, Industry and Art of Man
19. Manners and Customs of All Nations
20. The World and Its Inhabitants

#1-5 were first published in 1843
#6-14 were first published in 1844
#15-20 were first published in 1845

"Bradbury, Soden & Co.” and "John Allen", published the first editions of the twenty volumes in 40 paperback editions as "Parley's Cabinet Library" between 1843 and 1845. Thus, each title noted above was originally printed in wraps in a Volume 1 and a Volume 2. Subsequently (in 1845 and later) either the publisher or a private binder bound each of the two volume wraps into one book. Later in the 1840's Thomas, Cowperthwait and J. E. Hickman published these titles only in one volume editions. Other publishers including G. H. Peirce and G. C. Rand, Rand and Mann, Geo. C. Rand, Geo C. Rand & Avery, Brown, Taggard & Chase, Brown & Taggard, Fred’k A. Brown & Co., Taggard & Thompson, Thompson, Bigelow & Brown, Thompson, Brown & Co. and John R. Walsh produced this series.

Original advertisements dated 1843 noted a book list that was different from the list of books that was actually printed.

Titles in the earlier advertisement which were not part of the Cabinet Library included:
18. Romance of Commerce, or Illustrations the Nature, Uses and Extent of Trade
19. Home in the Sea, or the Nature and Necessity of Civil Government Illustrated. (This book appears to have been published by William Robinson in 1842 under a slightly different name:
"The Young American: or Book of Government and Law; Showing their History, Nature and Necessity”. )
20. Miscellanies

This earlier list did not include: #16, 17, 18 (as shown above).

1843 ad


Beginning in 1843 the titles in the main list above were released in wraps. Every month a title which included two parts was sold for 25 cents each. Later the two parts in wraps were bound by the publisher. Some individuals had these volumes bound by different binderies.

Two formats.

Wraps. Salmon, yellow and white seen. Title of Library and book on the cover. 7" x 4.75"

Cloth. Brown. Blindstamped with various embossed pattern on the cover. Gilt title on the spine. Some books also note "Parley's Cabinet Library" in gilt on the spine. 7" x 4.75".
(There are a number of binding variants with leather, etc.)


Here is number 16 in wraps. Note that this title is not in the original list of titles.


Some of the Bradbury, Soden & Co. spines number the books.