John Edwin Brown letter to G. & C. Merriam

Collection — Box: Multi-Collection Box

Identifier: 087-02

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Included is a priced trade catalog of Marshall, Brown and Co. and letter from Brown to G. and C. Merriam dated 3 September 1834. The trade list includes the works offered by Marshall, Brown and Co including children’s books, school books and miscellaneous books. Brown’s letter refers to book exchanges and includes criticism of the practice of “trade sales”.

Dates

1834-09-03

Creator

Brown, John Edwin, 1804 or 1805-1839 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

PPL believes this collection is in the public domain. Users of this item are responsible for determining copyright restrictions.

Biographical / Historical

In 1830, William Marshall opened a bookstore, printing office and bindery at 21 Westminster Street near Market Square in Providence, Rhode Island. By 1834 he had taken on John Edwin Brown as a partner in the firm. Marshall retired in 1837 and a year later Brown sold the firm to Isaac H. Cady. John Edwin Brown (1804 or 1805-1839) was the son of John Brown and Mary Hodges. He married Abby Carey Field of Providence and died December 20, 1839 in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

George and Charles Merriam were printers and booksellers in Springfield, Massachusetts in the 18th century. In 1832 they established a publishing house and early publications included law and school books as well as editions of the Bible. After the death of Noah Webster in 1843, they bought the rights to publish Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language.