Breed, Butler & Co., Buffalo, New York
Breed, Lent & Co., Buffalo, New York

Fred W. Breed, Charles W. Butler and Elihu Phinney established Breed, Butler & Co. in 1859. This firm succeeded Phinney & Co. Phinney & Co. was founded by Elihu Phinney and had its origin in Cooperstown in 1795. Upon Elihu’s death in 1813, the company was run by his sons Henry and Elihu, Jr. as H. & E. Phinney. They expanded the firm beyond newspapers to book publishing. When a fire destroyed the business, the brothers moved to Buffalo and founded Phinney & Co.

Charles Butler withdrew from Breed, Butler & Co. in 1866 and James M. Lent replaced him as the firm became Breed, Lent & Co. By 1872 the firm was Breed & Lent.

Butler, Breed & Co. (and its successor, Breed, Lent & Co.) published a number of six title book series for children. Series (libraries) #3-7 were written by Frances Elizabeth Barrow with the pseudonym of Aunt Laura or Aunt Fanny. Series (libraries) #1-2 were meant for adults and they are noted below. All of the volumes are miniatures and are Butler, Breed & Co. or Breed, Lent & Co. first editions. Of note is that the higher the series number, the smaller the book.