The Boy Travellers Series

The Boy Travellers Series by Thomas Knox

This 15 book series was published by Harper and Brothers in two different formats. The first editions are large (9 x 7) volumes . The covers were well illustrated in multiple colors and gold gilt. Each cover is different with a book appropriate picture.

The later editions published beginning 1898 have the same cover for each book. These books were also 9" x 7" and cost $2.00 each. An example is shown below the first editions.

The text was supplemented with maps and copious numbers of pictures. Initially they were priced at $3.00 each-a high price for a book in those years. Although it is likely they had dust jackets, I have never seen one.

The stories were written by Thomas Knox between 1879 and 1894 and published by Harper and Brothers. As with a number of the "upscale" travelogue series, one book was published per year. The new book was usually published just before Christmas in the copyright year. These volumes were well bound as would be expected by their high price.

Dr. Bronson along with his nephew Fred and Fred's cousin Frank Bassett journey throughout the world. Many of the travels traced the actual previous footsteps of the author. Frank's mother and sister Mary joined the others in the later books.

The copyright dates are noted below. First editions have the following year's date just below the imprint on the title page. The first three titles have detailed book appropriate illustrated endpapers. The rest of the volumes have a book appropriate map on the endpapers.

1. Boy Travellers in the Far East. Part First: Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey to Japan and China 1879
2. Boy Travellers in the Far East. Part Second: Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey to Siam and Java 1880
3. Boy Travellers in the Far East. Part Third: Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey to Ceylon and India 1881
4. Boy Travellers in the Far East. Part Fourth: Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey to Egypt and the Holy Land 1882
5. Boy Travellers in the Far East. Part Fifth: Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey Through Africa 1883
6. Boy Travellers in South America 1885
7. Boy Travellers in the Russian Empire 1886
8. Boy Travellers on the Congo 1887
9. Boy Travellers in Australasia 1888
10. Boy Travellers in Mexico 1889
11. Boy Travellers in Great Britain 1890
12. Boy Travellers in Northern Europe 1891
13. Boy Travellers in Central Europe 1892
14. Boy Travellers in Southern Europe 1893
15. Boy Travellers in the Levant 1894

Thomas Knox (1835-1896) was quite a traveler himself. Initially his vocation was as a school teacher/principal in Kingston, New Hampshire. After two years he quit and moved to Colorado to "dig for gold". Later he worked as a writer for two local newspapers- Rocky Mountain News and the Western Mountaineer.

He joined the California National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel but was injured at a battle in Missouri.

After the war as an employee of the Russo-American Telegraph Company he went to Northern Asia on an expedition that was laying telegraph lines.

He embarked on a world tour in 1877. He visited with the King of Siam during that trip and established a relationship with the King that resulted in Knox teaching the methods of American education to the King. Because of his travels in the various parts of the world, his writings had a realism that other juvenile travelogue fiction did not always possess.

In 1881(copyright 1880) he wrote a little monograph: How to Travel. Knox was quite the explorer/traveler. Putnam reprinted this title in 1887.