Rollo's Tour in Europe
This ten book series was written by Jacob Abbott (1803-1879). Abbott
was a Congregational minister and author of great note in the mid 19th
century. His writings are certainly his main historical footprint.
Over the course of his life Abbott penned more than 200 books. These
are well described by Carl J. Weber in his "A Bibliography of Jacob
Abbott" Colby College Press, 1948. Note that many of Weber's book dates
however are incorrect and his publishers' list is often incomplete.
Abbott is most well known for the Rollo books. These didactic little
books were vehicles to teach morality to youngsters. Of the several
series that Rollo either starred in or was a secondary character, the
most popular and well known was the ten book Rollo's Tour of Europe
Series. In these tales Rollo and Mr. George toured Europe learning more
about character and morality than they learned about the individual
lands that were visited.
These books were initially published between 1853 and 1858. By the
early 1900's they had been reprinted by more than 25 publishers in at
least 50 formats.
Early Publishers 1853-1880
1. W. J.
Reynolds 1853-1856 (First editions of Books #1-6)
2. Brown, Taggard and Chase
1857-1858 (First editions of books # 7-10)
and 1859-1860
3. Brown and Taggard
1861-1862
4. Fred'k Brown
1862
5. Taggard and Thompson
1863
6. Sheldon and Company
1864-1880
1880-1890 Publishers
7. John W.
Lovell Company
1878-1893
8. John
Anderson 1882-1883
9. D. Lothrop and
Company 1883-1884
10. John Alden
1883
11. Dewolfe, Fiske and
Company 1885-late 1880's
12. Frederick A. Stokes
and Brother 1889
1890-1910 Publishers
13. Baker and
Taylor - Early 1890's
14. Edward Publishing
Company 1890's
15. Hurst and Company
1883 - 1919
16. E.A. Lawson Company
1890's
17. Mershon Company
1897-1904, 1906
18. Siegel-Cooper Company
1897-1905
19. Geo. M. Hill Company
- 1900
20. Henneberry
Company 1900-1910
21. W. B. Conkey Company
- 1900 and later
22. John Wanamaker
- ca.1903
23. Union School
Furnishing Company - 1900 or later
24. Homewood
Publishing Company - ca. 1904
25. Stitt Publishing
Company -1905
26. Emerson and Company
- 1900 or later
27. Chatterton-Peck
Company - 1906-1907
John Alden 1883
John B. Alden published the Rollo's Tour series of ten books in 1883. The books are 6.25 x 4.5.
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Here is an ad for the Rollo series as published by John B. Alden in the "Irving Library", May, 1884
John Anderson
1882-1883
John Anderson published the ten book series in two different formats. The title pages are not dated. The earlier books have the same gold gilt decoration in the center of the front cover as the latest (1880) Sheldon books. This makes sense when it is noted that John Anderson bought Sheldon's Rollo plates at auction in September, 1882.
The blue book with the ship on the cover was printed most likely in 1883.
Baker and Taylor
- Early 1890's
Baker and Taylor published Rollo using the same format as
DeWolfe, Fiske and Company. The ten titles were published in five
books. There are two title pages in each Baker and Taylor book. Each
one precedes a different Rollo's Tour story. Although not positive, I
believe these were done in the late 1880's-early 1890's.
Fred'k Brown
1862
Fred'k Brown reprinted this series in 1862. These books are
the same as the Brown and Taggard books.
Brown and
Taggard 1861-1862
Brown and Taggard, the successor to Brown,Taggard and Chase,
reprinted all ten books in 1861-1862.
Multiple colors have been seen.
Brown, Taggard and
Chase 1857-1858 (First editions of books # 7-10) and 1859-1860
Brown, Taggard and Chase was the successor to W. J. Reynolds.
It did the first editions of books #7-10. It also published reprints of
all ten books. Except for the title page, the books are the same as the
previous Reynolds' published books. 7 x 4.75.
This firm was the first to publish the ten book series as a
boxed set. Here is a boxed set that dates from 1860. The books within
the set were published in 1858, 1859 and 1860.
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1858 Variant
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Chatterton-Peck
Company 1906-1907
New York. This format is the same as one of the Mershon
formats. 6 x 4.25.
W. B. Conkey
Company - 1900 and later
Chicago. Post-1900
Conkey published Rollo books in a number of series.
Initially the Amaranth Series, University Series and Ivory Series
included all ten Rollo books. By 1904 only Rollo in London was part of
these series. All ten titles were published in the Franklin Series of
paper books and the Rollo Series. The latter series, the Rollo Series'
covers were used by Homewood Publishing Company.
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unknown series
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unknown series
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unknown series
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DeWolfe, Fiske
and Company 1885-late 1880's
DeWolfe, Fiske and Company published its reprints of Rollo's
Tour in Europe starting in 1885. The book cover used is the same as
Lothrop's later cover and the one on the later Baker and Taylor books.
Edward
Publishing Company 1890's
New York. 6 x 4.5
Emerson and
Company 1900 or later
Chicago. Early 1900's.
Henneberry
Company 1900-1910
The Henneberry Company, Chicago, published the Rollo books in
two different series beginning in 1901. This company was started by H.
P. Henneberry after his association with Michael Donohue (Donohue and
Henneberry) ended. Both of the Rollo books were published between 1901
and 1907.
The ten Rollo books were part of the 100 book Illustrated Boys and
Girls Library. It is 7.5 x 5.25.
The Rollo books were also part of a publisher's series that I do not
know the name. It is 7.5 x 5.25.
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The Boys and Girls Library
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1901 ad
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Unknown Series
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Geo. M. Hill
Company 1900
Geo M. Hill Company in Chicago published the Rollo books in
1900-1901 in Hill's Popular Handy Volume Library. This is a large multi
volume publisher's series. 6 x 4.5.
Homewood Publishing Company 1903-1904
This publisher printed the ten Rollo books as the Rollo Series. Homewood used the same format as the earlier Conkey Rollo Series books.
Varsity Boys' Series ca.1903
This series of 12 mos. books contained only one Rollo title-In London.
Homewood used the same covers as Conkey did in its Varsity Series.
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Hurst and
Company 1883-1919
New York. Hurst published the Rollo Series in a number of its
series.
The first Hurst copies of Rollo were done in approximately 1883. The
details are unknown.
The Cambridge Classics was a multivolume publisher's long running
series that was characterized by a new cover every year or two. The
series was started in 1896 and was published as late as 1906.
The Pearl Library published all the Rollo books in 1900. All ten Rollo
books were part of the Gilt Top Library Books publisher's series in the
early 1900's.
Beginning in 1906 Hurst published the Boys' Own Library. These small
books were seen with many different covers and dust jackets. Some
examples are shown below.
The Famous Rollo Books were published in 1913.
The Young America Library/ Books for Boys were published for a number
of years starting in 1906. These books had multiple cover illustrations
and numerous dust jackets also.
Other Hurst Rollo's have been seen but as of yet cannot be assigned to
a series although they most certainly belonged to one. See below.
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Epworth Library 1897
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Cambridge Series 1897
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Cambridge Series 1898
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Cambridge Series 1899
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Cambridge 1900 Dust Jacket
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Cambridge 1901-1902
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Cambridge Series 1903
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Cambridge Series 1904
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Pearl Library 1900
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Boys' Own Library 1906 and later
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Boys' Own Library 1906 and later
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Young America Library/Books for Boys 1906 or later
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Laurelhurst Series 1908
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Famous Rollo Books 1913
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Unknown Hurst Series
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E.A. Lawson
Company 1890's
E. A. Lawson, New York published both of its Rollo formats in
the 1890's. It is unclear as to the exact date. The books are 6 x 4.5.
D. Lothrop and
Company 1883-1884
D. Lothrop and Company published the Rollo set in two
different formats. The earlier format has the identical cover of the
later John Anderson book. In addition this Lothrop book has the
Anderson logo on the base of the spine.
The later Lothrop cover is the same as the DeWolfe, Fiske and Company
cover. There are no dates in the Lothrop books but the ads in the back
of the book are John Anderson ads. This most likely means that Anderson
rented the plates out to Lothrop. In 1885 DeWolfe, Fiske and Company
made arrangements with the Anderson School-Book Company to publish
their entire line of books, including the Rollo books (Publishers'
Weekly, 1885).
John W. Lovell
Company 1878-1893
New York. The ten book
Rollo's Tour in Europe Series was published in 1891 as a set by John W. Lovell
Company in Lovell's Rugby Edition. The set was sold boxed for $6.00.
Mershon
Company 1897-1904, 1906
Mershon published its Rollo's in several different series.
The Wideawake Series and the Rollo's Tour in Europe (10 titles in
five volumes) are the most well known. The ten Rollo books also
appeared in the post-1902 Regal Series, Standard Series and Standard
Sixteen Mos. Series. The names of the other series
are as of yet unknown.
Dating the Mershon books exactly can be difficult. These books can be
divided into 1897-Early 1902 and later 1902-1906. The 1897-early 1902
books' imprints only have New York. The later books also list the
Rahway, N.J. location.
Montgomery
Ward and Company Early 1900's
Chicago. Montgomery Ward and Company was one of numerous
nineteenth and early twentieth century department stores that published
books with its own imprint.
Usually the department stores printed large publisher's series of
reprints.
Montgomery Ward published the ten Rollo Travels book in its La Belle
Library in 1901. Two different formats have been seen for this series.
One of these formats is shown below. The book is 6.5 x 4.25. It is
presumed that it originally came with a dust jacket but none has been
seen up to this time.
W. J.
Reynolds 1853-1856
W. J. Reynolds published the first editions of the first six
books. The ship picture page precedes the title page. Most of the
reprint publishers also included this ship picture in their editions.
The books are 7 x 4.75.
Sheldon and
Company 1864-1880
Sheldon and Company was the only publisher of this series
between 1864 and 1880. It reprinted the ten book series in a number of
different formats. The covers are shown below with their title pages.
Siegel-Cooper Company 1897-1905
The Siegel-Cooper Company was a discount department store that sold
books on its imprint between the early 1890's and early 1900's. The
first store was located on State Street in the Chicago Loop. The Rollo
book has the same format as a book published by E. A. Lawson. I believe
the Rollo books are part of a large publisher's series. It is 6 x 4.5.
Stitt Publishing Company 1905
New York. The Stitt Rollo's were part of the Wideawake Library
which was first published by Mershon.
Frederick A.
Stokes and Brother 1889
This company published this ten volume set in 1889. It came
boxed and was priced at $8.50. These books have not been seen. They were stamped in gold and black.
Taggard and
Thompson 1863
Taggard and Thompson reprinted this series in 1863. This
firm's reprints are the same as those of Brown and Taggard and Fred'k
Brown.
Union School Furnishing Company 1900 or later
Union School Furnishing Company. 1900 or later. 7.5 x 5.25.
John Wanamaker - ca.1903
John Wanamaker published ten Rollo titles in five books in its
Wanamaker's Young People's Library. The books have been seen in various colors. 1903-1907. 7.5 x 5.5.
Later printings are frequently misidentified as first editions. The
reality is that the first six books were initially published by W.J.
Reynolds of Boston and volumes 7-10 were first published by Reynolds'
successor, Brown, Taggard and Chase. Both of these companies used the
same maroon cloth cover and the same boat title page.
Any Rollo book not published by W.J. Reynolds or Brown, Taggard and
Chase (BTC) is a reprint. Also note that not all of the Reynolds and
BTC publications are first editions. The title page date must match the
copyright date (note the two exceptions below) for the books by these
publishers to be first editions.
The Series:
Rollo
- On the Atlantic 1853*
- In Paris 1854
- In Switzerland 1854
- In London 1855 (Copyright is 1854 but first edition
title page has
1855)
- On the Rhine 1855
- In Scotland 1856 (Copyright is 1855 but first edition
title page is 1856)
- In Geneva 1857 (Copyright is 1856 but first edition title
page states 1857 and lists six not eight titles in the front
advertisement)
- In Holland 1857
- In Naples 1858
- In Rome 1858
Thus if a W. J. Reynolds copy of Rollo in Paris has an 1855
title page date, it is not a first edition.
*Note that all the W. J. Reynolds' books have a page that states "Order
of the volumes"
The first editions of all the volumes except for "On the Atlantic" list
six books ending with "in Scotland".
The first edition of "On the Atlantic" only lists two books - Atlantic
and In Paris.
Also appreciate that many of the later reprint publishers used the 1858
copyright date for all the titles. Any Rollo book that does not have a
title page date was published after 1880.
Shown below are most all of the American editions of the different
printings of the Rollo's Tour in Europe books. The most common reprints
are those published by Hurst and Mershon. These companies' reprints
were all done in the 1895-1910 time frame.
A parody of the Rollo books was published in 1879 and 1880 in the
Harvard Lampoon. This story, Rollo's Journey to Cambridge, portrays
Rollo, his friends and family in a totally different light. Smoking
drinking, and criminal acts are the new mainstays of Rollo's life. This
story was reprinted a number of times by various publishers. For more
information about the book and its bibliographical history, click here.
