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Books by Irish authors published in NYC 1800s?

Hello!

I'm in possession of a beautiful book passed down to me from my father (1924-2003) & to him, from his grandfather(1873-1943)

                            The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore by Jno. Francis Waller; P.F. Collier, NY 1880

My questions: Surely there were publishing companies in Ireland in those days...or London? Why then would this Irish author publish In NYC at the time? When the Irish author published in NYC, did his publisher then send the books back to Ireland for distribution or were they also distributed in America (& beyond), where the grandson could have purchased a copy for himself?

I highly suspect this huge book of poetry was given to my great grandfather by his grandfather as the handwritten name inside was not the writing style of my great grandfather but more like the style of an older generation. 1. Perhaps the book was given as a parting gift when the grandson (abt. 16 yrs old) emigrated to America circa 1888. ...or would it have been too bulky to take on the journey?  2. Another possibility would be that my great grandfather simply purchased it himself in America (lived briefly NYC in then RI)   3.The book was mailed by the grandfather in Ireland to his grandson in America.

 Your opinions and thoughts on all the above are gratefully appreciated :) Katy

kathclval@gmail.com

7 replies

Katy,

Yes there have always been publishers in Dublin (and England) since soon after Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1400s.

I would think that the reason the book was published in New York was that there was perceived to be a good market for it in North America. It would be more expensive to print them in Dublin and then pay to ship them to the US (or vice versa). Easier and cheaper to publish local editions.

You could check with the National Library of Ireland in Dublin to see if there was a separate edition published in Ireland. That would probably help answer your question.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Many thanks again for your help, Elwyn!

I'll get back to you when I receive the results of my query.

K

 

kathclval@gmail.com

wow, that is so interesting

Nastkaa345@gmail.com

One day I read an essay which write for me https://www.bestessay.com/buy-college-essays/. It was about Irish culture and details about old books. After that, I became interested in this topic. By the way, I received an excellent grade for the essay. It had a good structure and was grammatically perfect. maybe for someone this info will be usefull.

Nastkaa345@gmail.com

Topic is very intresting

dylanhodgson@p…

In those times, there were indeed publishing companies in Ireland and London. However, the choice of the place of publication could depend on various circumstances, including financial, contractual, or even the author's preferences. With the advent of new technologies, everything has changed significantly. Publishing a book by an Irish author in New York could have been driven by various motivations. Perhaps the author had connections with a publishing house in New York that offered advantageous terms or a broader audience. After reading a post about how to start an autobiography essay, I understood how challenging it was to write and try to publish an autobiography at that time. The variety of factors influencing the choice of the place of publication underscores the complexity of the literary world of that era. With the emergence of new technologies in our time, opportunities for authors have significantly expanded, and the publishing process has become more accessible and diverse.

Allportmail

Thank you so much for your reply to my query about publishing Irish works in the 1870s- 1890s.

I did visit the National Library of Ireland as per Elwyn's post of Jan 2021 - after it was safe for me to travel again due to Covid Pandemic restrictions.

I did find a copy of The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore by Jno. Francis Waller; P.F. Collier, NY 1880 in the National Library but it was half the book that was passed down from my great grandfather (born Co Tipperary, 1873). I surmise like many have said here, that Collier realized there was indeed a market in the U.S. due to the large Irish immigrant population. The book in the National Library was smaller and fairly plain without the flourishes, gilded pages and artwork plates present in the book passed on to me.

So alas, my great grandfather may have purchased it himself in NY or in a RI bookstore and then it was passed on to my father and me eventually. It would have made a beautiful story having been a gift given to him from his grandfather from Co Galway :) I am grateful to have this book as it linked me with Ireland before I knew that was indeed the land of my Great Grandpa's birth.

Thank you all for your contribution to my research! It's been a fun adventure, unraveling the mystery!

Katy

 

kathclval@gmail.com

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