The Biographical Dictionary of America/Appleton, Daniel

APPLETON, Daniel, publisher, was born in Haverhill, Mass., Dec. 10, 1785, son of Daniel and Lydia (Ela) Appleton. He began his commercial career as clerk in a dry goods store and early established himself in the dry goods business in Haverhill and later in Boston. In 1825 he removed to New York city, and locating in Exchange Place opened an establishment for the sale of dry goods and books, in partnership with his brother-in-law, Jonathan Leavitt. In 1830 Mr. Leavitt withdrew from the concern, and William Henry, Mr. Appleton's eldest son, took his place as head of the book department. Later the dry goods business was abandoned, and Mr. Appleton removed to larger premises in Clinton Hall, corner of Beekman and Nassau streets, where he devoted his capital and energy to importing and selling books. In 1830 he made his first venture as a publisher, and issued a volume three inches square, and a half inch thick, with 192 pages, entitled "Crumbs from the Master's Table," consisting of bible texts compiled by W. Mason. A copy of this book is preserved in the Appleton family. A still smaller volume, "Gospel Seeds," appeared in the following year, and was followed in 1833, the year of the cholera epidemic, by "A Refuge in Time of Plague and Pestilence." In 1838 Mr. Appleton visited Europe and established the London agency of the house at 16 Little Britain; he also purchased in Paris a number of rare illuminated missals and MSS. specimens of the work of the early monks, which were eagerly bought in America and afforded the firm a large profit. In 1838 William Henry Appleton was admitted to a partnership, and the firm became D. Appleton & Co., and removed to 200 Broadway. In 1840 they issued Tract No. 90 by Dr. Pusey, which was followed by the writings of Drs. Newman, Manning, Palmer, Maurice and others of the Oxford school. In 1848 Mr. Appleton retired, making the proviso that the official signature of the firm should remain Daniel Appleton & Co. A printing house and bindery were established by the firm in Franklin St., N. Y., in 1853. In 1857 the "New American Cyclopædia" was begun, the last volume being issued in 1863. The work proved a success, upwards of thirty thousand sets being sold. In 1868, owing to the increase of business, the mechanical departments were transferred to Brooklyn, where an immense block of buildings had been erected to accommodate them. In 1861 the first copy of "The Annual Cyclopædia" was issued, a volume appearing every year there-after, uniform in style and size with the American Cyclopædia, of which during the years 1873-'76 a revised edition was prepared with engravings and maps. "Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography," a valuable work of reference, in 6 vols., was commenced in 1886 and "Johnson's Universal Cyclopædia Revised" in 1893, in 8 vols. The wide range of books published by the Appletons comprises school text-books, medical and scientific works. Spanish books for the Central and Southern American trade, the literature concerning the civil war, poems, novels; covers, in fact, the whole range of literature. The works of Darwin, Huxley, Spencer, and Tyndall were first printed in America by this firm under royalty agreement with the authors. Owing to the theological prejudices of the time, the publication of these books brought odium upon the Appletons. They were also the first to produce in New York the works of Mme. Muhlbach, one of the most popular novels published by the house being her "Joseph II. and His Court," the sale of which was rivalled by Disraeli's "Lothair," of which eighty thousand copies were sold. Among the firm's illustrated publications are: "Picturesque America," "Picturesque Europe," "Picturesque Palestine," and "The Art of the "World." In the selection of names for the Hall of Fame, New York university, October, 1900. Mr. Appleton received seven votes for a place. He died in New York city, March 27, 1849.