Blog Archive

Thursday, October 11, 2018

About McLoughlin Bros Books for Collectors and Booksellers

Pleasewell Series: 5 Little Pigs
Representative Cover 
McLoughlin Bros. Children's Books
This blog post by Mary Katherine May of Quality Music and Books

Any way you look at it, McLoughlin Brothers published many children's books. They are fun to collect but hard to find in excellent condition. 

The following information is from the 1903 McLoughlin Bros. catalog and shows information on its 2-, 3, 5- and 10-cent book offerings. This information will be helpful to both collectors and booksellers in identifying and describing particular editions. You will notice that though there are books in only one series, many books appear in several series. Book size will be important in determining which series a book is in as will also printing colors.

CLICK HERE To view the entire 1903 McLoughlin Bros. Catalogue on Archive.Org.

CLICK HERE to read more about the publisher McLoughlin Bros. on Wikipedia.org.

CLICK HERE to read more about McLoughlin Bros., Pioneers in Color Printing.


The McLoughlin Brothers published their 55th annual catalogue in 1903. Products were organized by price beginning with 2-cent toy books.

In 1903, the McLoughlin catalog offered the following products: Paper and linen toy books, half-bound and bound juvenile books, card games, board games, ABC blocks, picture blocks, building blocks, backgammon boards, chess boards, scroll puzzles, novelties, paper dolls, paper soldiers, flags, lead soldiers, and pictures for framing and advertising purposes, etc. Also valentines of every description, and Easter, Christmas, New Year, birthday, and religious cards.

The publications of 1903 contained at least one blatantly racial title, the book in No. 73, Bo-Peep Series.

2-cent Books
No. 2 ABC Series
4 books
12 pages, 4-3/4x6-3/4 inches, large alphabets in red and black
1. ABC of the Apple Pie
2. ABC of Animals
3. Little Learner’s ABC
4. Baby’s Own ABC

No. 4 Hop O’ My Thumb Series
6 books
10 pages, 5-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches, printed in red and black
1. Hop O’ My Thumb
2. Blue Beard
3. Puss in Boots
4. Sleeping Beauty
5. Red Riding Hood
6. Cinderella

No. 5 Dame Trot Series
6 books
10 pages, 5-1/2x7-3/4 inches, printed in black and red
1. Five Little Pigs
2. Bo-Peep
3. Old Mother Goose
4. Dame Trot
5. Song of Sixpence
6. Old Woman Who Live in a Shoe

No. 6 Yellow Dwarf Series
6 books
12 pages, 5-1/2x7-3/4 inches, printed in red and black

No. 7 White Cat Series
6 Books
12 pages, 5-1/2x7-3/4 inches, printed in red and black

No. 8 May Bell Series
6 Books
10 pages, 5-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches, printed in red and black

No. 9 Robin Hood Series
6 Books
10 pages, 5-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches, large type printed in red and black

3-cent Books 
No. 11 Little Miss Muffet Series
6 Books
These books are bright and clever.
10 pages, 5-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches, all printed in full colors, covers in full colors and gold

Pleasewell Series
Mother Hubbard and Her Dog
This copy "Mounted on Linen."
No. 12 Pleasewell Series
6 Books. 
10 pages, 5-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches, printed in full colors
Mounted on Linen: Books that are named "mounted on linen" will sometimes show linen strings at book edges. The linen inside heavyweight paper were claimed to be untearable. 
1. The Three Little Kittens
2. The Five Little Pigs
3. The House That Jack Built
4. The Old Woman and Her Pig
5. Dame Trot and Her Cat
6. Mother Hubbard and Her Dog

No. 14 Farm Yard ABC Series
6 Books
10 pages, 6 x 9 inches, printed in colors.
An ABC book with pictures of Cattle, Poultry, Pigs, etc.

No. 15 Red Riding Hood Series
6 Books
10 pages, 5-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches, 4 of which are in full colors.
1. Cinderella
2. Robinson Crusoe
3. Little Red Riding Hood
4. Favorite Nursery Tales
5. Pauline and the Matches
6. Simple Simon

Apple Pie ABC. No. 20 Alphabet Series
No. 20 Alphabet Series
4 Books
14 pages of which 6 are in full colors, 6-1/4 x 8 inches
1. Adventures of ABC
2. Apple Pie ABC
3. Merry Alphabet
4. Jolly Animal ABC

No. 21 Wonder Story Series
6 Books
6-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches
These books contain 6 full pages colored eight in plain pictures
1. Rip Van Winkel
2. Robin Hood
3. Robinson Crusoe
4. Ali Baba
5. Jack the Giant Killer
6. Alladdin

5-cent Books
No. 22 Good Two Shoes Series
6-1/2 x 9 inches
These books contain six colored pages, and six pages of pictures and text.
1. Goody Two Shoes
2. Aladdin
4. Baby’s ABC
5. The Forty Thieves
6. Children in the Wood

Domestic Animals copyright 1900
Representative Cover
No. 23 Little Animal Series
3 Books
6-3/4 x 8 inches
10 pages, 4 of which are in full colors. Covers in full colors and gold and varnished.
1. Domestic Animals
2. Wild Animals
3. Farmyard ABC

No. 24 Noah’s Ark ABC Series
6 x 9 inches
These books contain 12 pages, eight of which are in colors
1. Every Baby’s ABC
2. Little Boys’ and Girls’ ABC
3. Noah’s Ark ABC

No. 25 Kriss Kringle Series
6 Books
6-1/2 x 9 inches, 10 pages
1. Robinson Crusoe
2. Jack and the Bean Stalk
3. Apple Pie ABC
4. Baby’s ABC
5. Tom Thumb
6. Kriss Kringle

No. 26 Pearl Series
6 Books
6-1/4 x 7-3/4 inches. 10 pages, 4 of which are in full colors
1. Tiny Tot’s Treasure
2. Farmyard Frolics
3. Pets at Play
4. Little Sweethearts

No. 27 Young America Series
4 Books
6-1/4 x 7-3/4 inches. 10 pages, 4 of which and cover are in full colors.
1. Happy Hearts
2. Animal Antics
3. Mirth and Mischief
4. Childhood Joys

No. 28 Little Gem Series
6 Books
6-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches
These books are excellent for small children. Each book has 4 full-color pages and 8 pages in special text. The covers are in full colors.

No. 28-1/2 Little Santa Claus Series
6-1/4 x 7-3/4 inches. 10 pages, 4 of which and the covers are in full colors.
1. Little Miss, Pretty Miss
2. Santa Claus and His Doings
3. A Visit from Saint Nicholas
4. Girls and Boys Come Out to Play

No. 29 Little Sister’s ABC
5 x 7 inches. This book contains ten colored pages and cover, all lithographed. A simple ABC book.

No. 30 Natural History Series
6 Books
6-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches
These are useful little animal books. Each book has 4 full color pages and 8 pages in text. The covers are in full colors.

No. 31 Major’s Alphabet
6 x 9 inches. This book contains ten colored pages. A good alphabet book.

No. 32 Nursery ABC Simple Speller
6 x 9 inches, 12 pages. This is an easy lesson primer.

No. 33 Sunshine Series
6 Books
6-1/2 x 9 inches. 10 pages, 4 of which and covers are in full colors.
1. Three Bears
2. Silly Hare
3. Cock Robin
4. Cinderella
5. Three Little Pigs
6. Frog a Wooing Go

No. 36 Merry Christmas Series
6-3/4 x 9-3/4 inches. 10 pages of special red and black pictures and type. Covers in full colors.
1. Merry Christmas ABC
2. Baby Bunting ABC
3. Little Darling ABC
4. Playtime ABC

No. 46 Little Folks’ Series
4 Books
6-1/4 x 8 inches. Selected old fairy stories. Six pages and covers in colors.

No. 50 Little Fairy Tales Series
6 Books
6-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches
Old standard fairy stories. 14 pages, 14 of which are in full colors. Covers in full colors and gold.

No. 51 Dame Dingle Series
6 – 9-1/2 inches. 8 full-color pictures.
1. Wandering Bunny
2. Dog’s Dinner Party
3. Rich Mrs. Duck
4. Cats’ Party
5. Spoilt Piggy Wiggy
6. Kings Gobble’s Feast

No. 52 Joyful Tales
6 Books
2. Cock Robin
3. Robber Kitten
4. Dame Trot

No. 55 Snowflake Series
4 Books
6-1/4 x 8 inches. For winter and Christmas time.
1. Santa Claus and His Works
2. The Robin’s Christmas Eve
3. Frisky the Squirrel
4. Hector the Dog

10-cent Books
No. 37 ABC of Animals and Nature
8-1/2 x 10 inches. 6 pages in full colors. Covers in full colors.

No. 38 Punch and Judy Series
4 Books
7-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches. 32 pages. Covers in full colors and varnished.
1. Three Little Kittens
2. The Giant Killer
3. Jingles and Joes
4. Heedless Harry

No. 38-1/2 Cozy Corner Series
4 Books
7-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches. 32 pages of special stories and pictures. Covers are in full colors and gold and varnished.

No. 39 Yankee Doodle ABC Book
6 x 9-1/2 inches. A special rhyming alphabet primer. 12 pages. Every page is illustrated with colored pictures. The large AC letters have a Star and Stripes designs in them. 17 colored pictures in the book.

No. 40 Our Little Ones ABC
6 x 9-1/2 inches. Rhyming alphabet primer. 12 pages illustrated in full colors. The ABC letters are in dark blue and black. 17 full-colored pictures in book.

No. 41 Tiny Tots ABC Book
6 x 9-1/2 inches. Special rhyming ABC primer. 12 pages illustrated in full colors. ABC letters in red and black. 17 full-colored pictures in book.

No. 42 Simple Simon Series
6 Books
6 x 10-1/2 inches. Each book contains 14 pages, 6 of which are in full colors.
1. Simple Simon
2. Robber Kitten
3. The Owl and the Fox
4. Little Soldier Boy
5. Jack and the Beanstalk
6. All About Santa Claus

No. 62 Froggie Series
3 Books
7 x 10 inches. 14 pages, 6 of which are in full colors. Cover in full colors, gold and varnished.

No. 63 Little Menagerie Series
3 Books
7 x 10 inches. 14 pages, 6 of which are in full colors, gold and varnished.

No. 54 Home Primer
91-4/ x 7-3/4 inches. Book contains 50 pictures and three alphabets, also simple reading lessons. Covers in full colors.

No. 56 Aunt Kate Series
6 Books
7-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches. Each book contains 14 pages, 6 of which are in full colors.
1. Children in the Wood
2. Aladdin
3. Red Riding Hood
4. Valentine and Orson
5. Robinson Crusoe
6. Blue Beard

No. 57 Pretty Picture Series
4 Books
7-1/2 x 10-/12 inches. Each book contains 14 pages, 6 of which are in full lithographic colors.
1. Little Darlings
2. Pretty ABC
3. Pretty Children
4. Laugh and Learn

No. 72 Our Baby’s Series
4 Books
Books contain 14 full colored pages.
1. By Land and Water
2. Around the World with Santa Claus
3. Our Baby’s ABC
4. The House That Jack Built

No. 73 Bo-Peep Series
4 Books
7 x 6 inches. Books contain 14 pages printed in full colors.
1. Mother Goose Melodies
2. Ten Little N….
3. A Visit of St. Nicholas
4. Simple Simon

No. 123 Frolic Series
3 Books
7 x 10 inches. Books contain 14 pages, 6 of which are in full colors. Covers in full colors and gold and varnished.

No. 124 Garden Series
3 Books
7 x 10 inches. Books contain 14 pages, 6 of which are in full colors. Covers in full colors and gold and varnished.

No comments: