Dissertation Information for Ellen D. Gilbert NAME: - Ellen D. Gilbert
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1992)
ADVISORS: - Phyllis Dain
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - Susan Otis Thompson
MPACT Status: Fully Complete
Title: Henry Holt & Co., 1866-1946: An editorial history
Abstract: This study examines the founding and growth of the publishing firm, Henry Holt & Co., with particular attention to the roles of key figures in the company's history as a trade book publisher. Henry Holt himself was, for over fifty years, the predominant influence over the firm that bears his name. Holt typified publishing patriarchs of the day while being, in some respects, unique. He was perhaps the first American publisher to be engaged solely in the business of publishing and not the combination of printing/bookselling/publishing that characterized publishing through the Civil War. His role as a publisher was multifaceted: he was involved in acquisitions, editing, and the supervision of production and sales. Holt's commitment to great literature, tempered by strong business instincts, was noteworthy.
When Holt's influence declined after the turn of the century, editor Alfred Harcourt's star was rising. Harcourt's knowledgeable enthusiasm for up and coming writers typified a new generation of editors and publishers, and after fifteen years with Holt & Co. Harcourt's more liberal outlook and wish for greater autonomy led to his departure from the firm to found his own publishing company in 1919.
After Henry Holt's death in 1926 and a period under the brief and less skillful leadership of his sons, the firm ceased to be a family run business and became a public corporation in 1928. The strength of Holt & Co.'s backlist, which included, most notably, books by the poet Robert Frost, carried the firm through the financially troubled thirties. During the forties, Trade Department head William Sloane brought renewed excitement to the firm with both literary and popular successes.
The first part of this study provides a chronological account of the firm's development, beginning with its founding in 1866. This account ends in 1946, when William Sloane left Holt & Co. and a new era, dominated by big business interests, began for the firm. The second part of this study offers a more detailed look at the ways in which Holt, Harcourt, Lincoln MacVeagh, and Sloane worked with particular authors.
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calculated 2008-01-31 06:02:07
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