• To see the paper condition, click here.
• To see an example of the binding edge of a paper click here.

Volume V. (July-December, 1853)

• Index to Miscellaney, Volume V.
• Index of Illustrations, Volume V.

Volume VIII. (January-June, 1855)

• Index to Miscellaney, Volume VIII (Ballou's).
• Index of Illustrations, Volume VIII (Ballou's).

Volume XI. (July-December, 1855)

• Index to Miscellaney, Volume IX (Ballou's).
• Index of Illustrations, Volume IX (Ballou's).

 $20.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, August 27, 1853, Whole No. 113
Volume: V, No. 9
Date: August 27, 1853
Page Nos.: 129-44
Whole No. 113
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: Front Page - Yale College. Other illustrated articles: The Castle of San Ilde, Spain, exhibits at the Crystal Place, NY & Reverend Charles F. Barnard.

 $15.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, September 24, 1853, Whole No. 117
Volume: V, No. 13
Date: September 24, 1853
Page Nos.: 193-208
Whole No. 117
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips. Large corner fold on first two pages. Several pages with dark circular stains (.5 cm)
Comments: Front Page - Melody of the Woods. Other illustrated articles: Ancient Costumes and Armor, Statute of Napoleon, the City of Portland & the Staten Island Ferries.

 $20.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, October 1, 1853, Whole No. 118
Volume: V, No 14
Date: October 1, 1853
Page Nos.: 209-224
Whole No. 118
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: Front Page - Partrudge Shooting. Other illustrated articles: Crystal Palace, New York, the Great California Cedar Tree, the Narrows from Staten Island & Reverend George Bosworth.

 $15.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, October 8, 1853, Whole No. 119
Volume: V, No. 15
Date: October 8, 1853
Page Nos.: 225-240
Whole No. 119
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips, 3 pages with large (3 inch) tears at the bottom.
Comments: Front Page - La Pierre House, Philadelphia. Other illustrated articles: Danube Valley, Crystal Palace, Statue of Columbus, Toronto Boat Club & US Marine Hospital, Chelsea, MA.

 $25.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, October 15, 1853, Whole No. 120
Volume: V, No 16
Date: October 15, 1853
Page Nos.: 241-256
Whole No. 120
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips, pencil marking on front page.
Comments: Front Page - The Bateman Children. Other illustrated articles: the Jules Hauel Company, Items on Exhibit a the Crystal Palace, NY, Reverend Sebastian Streeter, Japanese Scenes - Fishing in Japan & View of Congoxuma.

 $22.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, October 22, 1853, Whole No. 121
Volume: V, No. 17
Date: October 22, 1853
Page Nos.: 257-272
Whole No. 121
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: Front Page - Ruffed Grouse Shooting. Other illustrated articles: Parker White Farming Tools & Machines, Crystal Palace, NY, the Alleghany, Pennsylvia Railroad, Launch of the Great Republic, the Largest Merchant Ship in the World, Rev Joseph Cummings, the Lamas of Peru & Opium Trade/Smuggling in China.

 $20.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, October 29, 1853, Whole No. 122
Volume: V, No. 18
Date: October 22, 1853
Page Nos.: 273-288
Whole No. 122
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: Front Page - Mount Vernon. Other illustrated articles: The Emperor of China, Religion of the Chinese (span 2 pages with 6 illustrations), Dartmouth College, Leviathan Clipper Ship, the "Great Republic," fully rigged (full page illustration), the Rev Charles Lowell, Gulliver in Lilliupt exhibit in the Crystal Palace.

 $20.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, November 5, 1853, Whole No. 123
Volume: V, No. 19
Date: November 5, 1853
Page Nos.: 289-304
Whole No. 123
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: Front Page - Arnold's Falls, Wallkill, NY. Other illustrated articles: the Castle of Eisenstadt, Hungary, Aden, the Bosphorus, the Late Fireman's Third Annual Parade in New York City, View of the British and French Fleets in Besika Bay, the Rev Bishop Manton Eastburn, Arts and Arms at the Crystal Palace & Brackett's Villa, Quincy.

 $20.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, November 12, 1853, Whole No. 124
Volume: V, No. 20
Date: November 12, 1853
Page Nos.: 305-320
Whole No. 124
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: Front Page - First Battalion of Rifles of West Newbury on Boston Commons/Major Poore's Rifle Battalion. Other illustrated articles: English Men-of War, the Emperor of Russia, the Goose, the Chub, the National Horse Exhibition, Fancy Matched Horses, Rev Alexander H. Vinton, Colt's Pistols on Exhibition at the Crystal Palace.

 $30.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, November 19, 1853, Whole No. 125
Volume: V, No. 21
Date: November 19, 1853
Page Nos.: 321-336
Whole No. 125
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: Front Page - Deer Hunting. Other illustrated articles: Fruit Seller of Rio Janeiro, New Grenada, August Maine, State House, Augusta, US Arsenal, Augusta, Court House, August, Lincoln Monument, Augusta, Rev Otis A. Skinner, Dr. Hammersley's Gymnasium, Chapman Place, Boston & Turkish Soldiers.

 $30.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, November 26, 1853, Whole No. 126
Volume: V, No. 22
Date: November 26, 1853
Page Nos.: 337-352
Whole No. 126
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: Front Page - Mill Pond, Sleepy Hollow at Terrytown, New York. Other illustrated articles: the Mile Race for $10,000 at Centreville, LI, Betwee "Prince" and "Hero," Sons of New Hampshire Festival at Fitchburg Hall, Boston, Panoramic View of Constantinople, the "Queen of the Orient," from the Tower of Galata (2 page center fold), Rollin H. Neale, Omar Pasha, General of the Trukish Army & US Naval Hospital at Chelse, MA.

 $15.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, December 3, 1853, Whole No. 127 (Single Page)
Volume: V, No. 23
Date: December 3, 1853
Page Nos.: 388-9 (single page)
Whole No. 127
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: This is a single leaf from this issue. It contains pages 368 (front) and 369 (back). Page 368 contains an article on Japan. It is titled "Saccai, Japan" and has one illustration. To see the article, click here.

 $20.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, December 17, 1853, Whole No. 129
Volume: V, No. 25
Date: December 17, 1853
Page Nos.: 385-400
Whole No. 129
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: Front Page - Scenes in Havana. Other illustrated articles: Education in Russia (military), Alameda de Paula Havana, View of Havana Harbor, the Tacon Theatre, Havana, the Plaza des Armes in Havana, Portrait of the Duches D'Angouleme (full page), the Bleachery at Waltham, MA.

 $20.00 -- Gleason's Pictorial, December 24, 1853, Whole No. 130
Volume: V, No. 26
Date: December 24, 1853
Page Nos.: 401-416
Whole No. 129
Condition: Standard (Good), edge tears & chips.
Comments: Front Page - Christmas. Other illustrated articles: Hallt at Tuileries, Paris, New Sacristy of Notre Dame, Paris, Banner Presentation in New York, Tonawanda, or White's Island, Niagara River, View of Camp Seco, California, the American Steamship Washington, Pearls Exhibited at the Crystal Palace & New England Home Scenes.

 $195.00 -- Ballou's Pictorial, Bound Volume VIII, January-June, 1855
Volume: VIII, No. 1-26
Date: January 6 - June 30, 1855
Page Nos.: 1-416
Whole No. 183-208

Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion, Volume VIII.
This is the first bound semi-annual volume of this publication. Ballou's Pictorial was the successor to Gleason's Pictorial and continued with the numbering from that publication. The book is large 4to in size (11 5/8 x 15 3/4 in). The covers are blindstamped cloth with gilt lettering and decoration on the front cover. This volume covers all issues from January through June of 1855. The book is complete for the period of January through June of 1855. It contains a total of 26 issues (whole numbers 183-208) which cover 416 pages. It also contains an 8 page Valentine supplement which is bound in at the back. The double page view titled "Comprehensive Representation of all the Sailing Vessels and Steamships in the United States Navy" (pic here) is an important pictorial representation of the key ships of the US Navy in 1855.

Condition. This is an ex-library book (non-circulating). The front and back boards are original. All edges are gilt. The spine has been repaired/replaced with binding tape and the corners tipped with the same tape. The title is written in white at the top of the spine and a call number is on a taped on label at the foot of the spine. There is a library handstamp (Historical Society) at the bottom of the volume title page. There is a library stamp on the title page and an ink number "704" on the "Index to Miscellany." Inside the front cover is a library handstamp with a annotation of "Gift of ...." Otherwise there are no other library markings or indicia. There is a gift inscription in ink on a front free page. The bottom edges of the front and back covers are scraped. The paper is aged (tanned) but remains supple. There are minor small edge tears throughout. Several of the pages have larger tears and they have been repaired with clear library tape (archival quality type). Those repairs are noted below. In the as issued form, the centerfold plates of the single issues were on a continuous page with one facing the other when the paper was folded. In rebinding this configuration was changed. The plates were removed and the area at the fold was reinforced with linen tape and then one edge of the plate was rebound into the book. This made these plates double page fold out type plates. These plates were then folded to fit within the pages without protruding at the fore edge. In this book, two center fold plates have been treated in this manner (see whole numbers 183 and 188, below).

For an issue by issue discussion of this book, click here.

 
Information on Gleason's. Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion was one of America's foremost illustrated newspaper. It covered all aspects of life both here and abroad. The paper began publication in 1851. As stated by Gleason's:

...the object of the paper is to present, in the most elegant and available form, a weekly literary melange of notable events of the day, its columns are devoted to original tales, sketches and poems, by the Best American authors, and the cream of the domestic and foreign news; the whole well spiced with wit and humor.

Maturin Ballou became the managing editor of the paper in 1854 and in 1855 he purchased the paper. The name was then changed to Ballou's Pictorial.

 
Physical Layout of Paper. The papers are large quarto in size, slightly smaller than 12" by 16." Each issue contains sixteen pages. The text is generally presented in column format (primarily three) with woodcut illustrations.

 
Illustrations.

• Woodcut Engravings (B/W).
  
  Details/Characteristics of Woodcut Engraving
  Other forms of illustration were popular at this time (steel engravings and lithographs) but Gleason's only employed woodcut engravings. To see the characteristics of steel engravings and lithographs, click here.

• Size. Illustration size ranges from full page (FP) to centerfold (CF) to text illustrations (TI) that can approach full page size but generally are 1/4~1/2 page in size.

• General Comment. These really are pictorial/illustrated newspapers. I estimate that 25%-40% of the total page space of an issue is covered by the illustrations.

• Illustration with Color Added Later.
  
  All the information I have reviewed indicates that the illustrations in Gleason's were all black in white. I find no evidence that Gleason's ever printed a color illustration as the Illustrated News of London first did in 1855. On occasion Gleason's illustrations are found with color added later. This was the an individual effort and was not present when the paper was issued.

 
Contents.

• Basic Format (Pages 1-16)*
  • Title Page (TP) (Page 1). Each edition has a feature article that generally is accompanied by a 1/2 page or larger front page woodcut illustration.

  • 2nd and 3rd Pages. These pages tend to be devoted to serialized articles on a variety of subject both domestic and foreign. These pages have few if any illustrations.

  • 4th and 5th Pages. These pages tend to be heavily illustrated (1/2~3/4 of the page with illustrations) and focus on people and places.

  • 6th and 7th Pages. The paper reverts back to a text only format with articles only.

  • 8th and 9th Pages. This is the mid-point in the paper and the only place where adjoining pages are side by side when the paper is not taken apart. This section is always heavily illustrated. Generally (not always) the topics on the left and right match. On occasion (infrequently) there is a centerfold (CF) illustration (a continuous illustration spanning the two pages).

  • 10th and 11th Pages. Generally text with articles and poems. In some issues, he end of the last column on this pages is a "Daily Record of the Past."

  • 12th Pages. This page tends to be heavily illustrated and often deals with flora, fauna and objects such as antiques or artifacts.

  • 13th Page. No illustrations. Contains publisher information, poems and short articles and listings of Marriages and Deaths.

  • 14th and 15th Page. No illustrations. Often page 14 is a long full page article continued onto page 15. Page 15 also contains poems, short notices and "Foreign Items."

  • Back Page (page 16). Generally a 1/2~3/4 page illustration with accompanying article on current events/people or places.

• Centerfold (CF) Double Page Center Engraving. Some (very few) issues have a double page illustration that spans pages 8-9. These editions tend to be the in higher demand. CF illustrations in Gleason's are scarce because of there unique nature and the constant demand.

• Foldout (FO) Multiple Page Foldout Engraving. Just as scarce as the centerfold engravings are the foldout engravings. The consisted of more than 2 pages that were unsevered. They would foldout (using having 3 fold points) to display a panorama. These are most often found with creases, tears and misfolds because their size made them harder to safely store/handle.

• Few to No Commercial Ads.

  * The description is general in nature to give an idea of the content. It will vary from issue to issue but is fairly uniform.