Whittemore, Niles, and Hall, Boston

This firm was active from 1855 until about 1862. It was established by John M. Whittemore, Edward H. Hall and Thomas Niles. Niles had previously been associated with William D. Ticknor. Whittemore had been a named partner in Tappan and Whittemore which this new firm succeeded.

This company published one juvenile series: Mrs. Follen's Twilight Stories

Mrs. Follen's Twilight Stories by Mrs. Eliza Lee Follen (1856/1857-1860)

The first six titles were copyrighted in 1855 and the first editions have an 1856 title page. Volumes #7-11 were copyrighted in 1857 and the first edition title pages note 1858 on the title page.

Title #12 Little Songs was originally published as "Little Songs for Boys and Girls" in 1833 by Leonard C. Bowles. Subsequently it was published by Samuel Colman in 1839, by E. Kearny in 1843 as "Nursery Songs" in its "Mother's Library for Little Folks" and by S. Raynor in 1850.

It was revised and re-copyrighted in 1856 with an 1856 title page. The 1856 book has a different format than the series edition as it has a gilt cover illustration of a reading girl and the internal illustrations are in color. The "Twilight Series" Little Songs version also has an 1856 title page date but was actually released in 1858 (Xmas 1857). The latter "series books" has the usual series' front cover.

This series was subsequently published by Nichols and Hall in 1868 and 1870 and Lee and Shepard in 1873 and 1889.

Format:
Cloth. Various colors. Blindstamped with an embossed pattern of three standing children. Gilt lettering and decoration on the spine. 6.125" x 4.75".
Illustrated.

Books with six titles listed but with an undated title page were published in 1857.

Variant imprint page. Priority between the two 1856 pages is not known.

Variant front cover.