Evans & Brittan, New York
Evans & Dickerson, New York
James S. Dickerson, New York

Thomas C. Evans (1823-1896) and Joseph Brittan opened a bookstore, Evans & Brittan at 697 Broadway in the spring of 1851. Evans had previous experience working with M. W. Dodd, G. P. Putnam and Bartlett & Welford. He was born in Sumatra and educated in England. He arrived in America in 1843. He spent time in Kansas where he established the "Ottawa Home Journal". In the years after he left book publishing Evans worked in the insurance industry.

Initially Evans & Brittan were booksellers with American and English stock. By 1852 this company was published on its own imprint.

In about February, 1854 Evans and Brittan entered into a partnership with James S. Dickerson establishing Evans & Dickerson. This company dissolved in November, 1854 and was succeeded by James S. Dickerson. It was noted that Evans continued to work with Dickerson as much as Evans' health would permit.

Between May, 1853 and January, 1854 Evans & Brittan published the "Schoolfellow". This magazine was for boys and girls. It consisted of short stories, puzzles and poems. Some of its contributing authors were well known, i.e. Cousin Alice (Alice B. Neal), Mrs. Tuthill, Clara Moreton, Mary Howitt and F. R. Goulding. Schoolfellow was founded and first published in 1849 by W. C. Richards in Athens, Georgia. In 1850 it was also published in Charleston, South Carolina. Richards published Schoolfellow between 1850 and the end of 1852 in Charleston, South Carolina. C. M. Saxton of New York published the Schoolfellow in February, 1853-April, 1853. (No January, 1853 edition was printed.)

Beginning in February, 1854 Evans & Dickerson published Schoolfellow. James S. Dickerson took over with the January, 1855 edition and continued throughout that year. It was published between January, 1856 and August, 1857 by Dix & Edwards, Dix, Edwards & Co. and lastly by Miller & Curtis.

These publishing houses were at 397 Broadway throughout their existence:
Evans & Brittan (EB) 1851- 1854
Evans & Dickerson (ED) 1854
James S. Dickerson (JSD) 1855-

The companies published several series for juveniles. The biographies noted below were not only advertised in the Schoolfellow, "a magazine for boys and girls" but a section of "Oliver Cromwell" appeared in the November, 1855 Schoolfellow edition. Thus the presumption that these titles were for juveniles.

Some of the information below is incomplete because of scarcity of the noted titles.
(Publishers for each series are noted after the series name)