A.C. McClurg & Co. Records
Collection
Identifier: Midwest-MS-McClurg
Scope and Content of the Collection
The A. C. McClurg and Co. Records contain correspondence, contracts, royalty statements, record books, scrapbooks, and photographs. The records only partially document the publishing activities of the Chicago company. The collection contains neither manuscripts nor galleys of the books A. C. McClurg & Co. published. Collection contains almost no records of the wholesale and retail book, stationery and other merchandise distribution arm of the company.
Dates
- 1873-1967
- Majority of material found within 1910 - 1950
Creator
- A.C. McClurg & Co. (Organization)
Language
Materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The A.C. McClurg & Co. Records are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).
Ownership and Literary Rights
The A.C. McClurg & Co. Records are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.
History of the A.C. McClurg & Co.
Chicago publishing house and wholesaler and retailer of books and merchandise.
A.C. McClurg & Co. traces its origins to Chicago’s oldest book and stationery store which was founded in 1844. The young Alexander C. McClurg went to work for the company, then known as S. C. Griggs, in 1859. McClurg resumed working for Griggs after returning from the Civil War with the rank of general. S.C. Griggs lost all its contents in a fire in 1868. But when the store was completely destroyed by the great Chicago Fire of 1871, Griggs decided to sell his share of the company to E. L. Jansen, A. C. McClurg and F. B. Smith. Jansen, McClurg & Co. was established in 1872. The business flourished and in 1873 published its first title, Landscape Architecture by H. W. S. Cleveland. By 1880 McClurg’s ranked as one of the country’s largest book distributors. In addition to its wholesale book business, McClurg supplied to small-town retailers throughout the West and Midwest a variety of merchandise, including “blank books and tablets, stationery, typewriter paper and supplies, hair and tooth brushes, druggists’ sundries, pocketbooks, pipes, pocket cutlery, etc.”
Although the book distribution component of the company was more successful than its publishing side, General McClurg felt secure enough to start publishing the monthly literary magazine the Dial in 1880 and continued to do so until 1892. It was during this period that George Millard created the rare book section that became known as the “Saints and Sinners Corner.” In 1886 the company changed its name to A.C. McClurg & Co.
When the firm’s premises were destroyed by fire in 1899, General McClurg decided to reorganize as a corporation with shares sold to employees. He died soon thereafter in 1901. Little publishing took place until 1914 when the firm negotiated what turned out to be its most profitable publication, Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. McClurg & Co. went on to publish 10 more Tarzan titles. Eventually Burroughs set up his own company to deal with all iterations of his famous character.
In 1923 A. C. McClurg chose to focus its entire efforts on wholesale work by selling its bookstore located at 218 South Wabash Street in Chicago to Brentano’s. The remainder of the company was finally liquidated in 1962.
A.C. McClurg & Co. traces its origins to Chicago’s oldest book and stationery store which was founded in 1844. The young Alexander C. McClurg went to work for the company, then known as S. C. Griggs, in 1859. McClurg resumed working for Griggs after returning from the Civil War with the rank of general. S.C. Griggs lost all its contents in a fire in 1868. But when the store was completely destroyed by the great Chicago Fire of 1871, Griggs decided to sell his share of the company to E. L. Jansen, A. C. McClurg and F. B. Smith. Jansen, McClurg & Co. was established in 1872. The business flourished and in 1873 published its first title, Landscape Architecture by H. W. S. Cleveland. By 1880 McClurg’s ranked as one of the country’s largest book distributors. In addition to its wholesale book business, McClurg supplied to small-town retailers throughout the West and Midwest a variety of merchandise, including “blank books and tablets, stationery, typewriter paper and supplies, hair and tooth brushes, druggists’ sundries, pocketbooks, pipes, pocket cutlery, etc.”
Although the book distribution component of the company was more successful than its publishing side, General McClurg felt secure enough to start publishing the monthly literary magazine the Dial in 1880 and continued to do so until 1892. It was during this period that George Millard created the rare book section that became known as the “Saints and Sinners Corner.” In 1886 the company changed its name to A.C. McClurg & Co.
When the firm’s premises were destroyed by fire in 1899, General McClurg decided to reorganize as a corporation with shares sold to employees. He died soon thereafter in 1901. Little publishing took place until 1914 when the firm negotiated what turned out to be its most profitable publication, Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. McClurg & Co. went on to publish 10 more Tarzan titles. Eventually Burroughs set up his own company to deal with all iterations of his famous character.
In 1923 A. C. McClurg chose to focus its entire efforts on wholesale work by selling its bookstore located at 218 South Wabash Street in Chicago to Brentano’s. The remainder of the company was finally liquidated in 1962.
Extent
9.8 Linear Feet (25 boxes)
Abstract
Correspondence, contracts, royalty statements, record books, a scrapbook, and other materials from the A.C. McClurg publishing company, which was established in Chicago in 1872.
Organization
Papers are organized in the following series
- Series 1: Administrative Subject Files, 1873-1967
- Boxes 1-19
- Series 2: Record Books, approximately 1898-1964
- Boxes 20-23
- Series 3: Scrapbook, 1938-1944
- Box 24
- Series 4: McClurg History, approximately 1935-1944
- Box 25
Collection Stack Location
1 2 1
Provenance
Gift, A.C. McClurg & Co., 1968, with subsequent additions.
Separated Materials
The following books were removed to be cataloged separately:
- A Classified Catalogue of 3500 Volumes Suitable for a Public or School Library. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co., 1901.
- A Classified Catalogue of 3500 Volumes Suitable for a Public or School Library. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co., [1907]
- A Classified Catalogue of Selected Standard Books for a Public Library. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co., 1910.
- A Classified Catalogue of Selected Standard Books for a Public Library. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co., 1912.
Processed by
Adrian Alexander; Roberta Kovitz, 2008.
- A.C. McClurg & Co. -- Records and correspondence
- A.L. Burt Company
- Authors
- Authors and publishers -- United States -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
- Authors and publishers -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Book industries and trade
- Booksellers and bookselling -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
- Booksellers and bookselling -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Borowski, Felix, 1872-1956
- Burroughs, Edgar Rice
- Business records -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 1851-1900
- Business records -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 1901-1950
- Business records -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 1951-2000
- Chicago (Ill.) -- History -- 19th century
- Chicago (Ill.) -- History -- 20th century
- Contracts
- Contracts -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 1851-1900
- Contracts -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 1901-1950
- Contracts -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 1951-2000
- Copyright -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Copyright -- Royalties -- United States -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
- Copyright -- Royalties -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Correspondence -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 1851-1900
- Correspondence -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 1901-1950
- Correspondence -- Illinois -- Chicago -- 1951-2000
- Cruikshank, Frank Xavier
- Curtis Brown Ltd
- Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt)
- Dunn, Byron A. (Byron Archibald)
- Friend, Oscar J. (Oscar Jerome)
- Grey, Zane
- Grosset & Dunlap
- Harrison, Edith Ogden
- Manuscripts, American
- McCarter, Margaret Hill
- McClurg, Alexander C. (Alexander Caldwell), 1832-1901
- Mulford, Clarence Edward
- Publishers and publishing -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
- Publishers and publishing -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Queries (Authorship)
Creator
- A.C. McClurg & Co. (Organization)
- Title
- Inventory of the A.C. McClurg & Co. Records, 1873-1967, bulk 1910-1950
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Roberta Kovitz
- Date
- ©2008.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 7/27/2011: Revisions, additions, and updates were made.
Repository Details
Part of the The Newberry Library - Modern Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
60 West Walton Street
Chicago Illinois 60610 United States
312-255-3512
reference@newberry.org
60 West Walton Street
Chicago Illinois 60610 United States
312-255-3512
reference@newberry.org