The Alden Catalogue of Choice Books, May 30, 1889

Alden, John B. (John Berry), 1847-1924Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.7

Word count: 174K words
Chapters: 18

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Alden Catalogue of Choice Books, May 30, 1889 by John B. AldenAuthor: Alden, John B. (John Berry), 1847-1924,Language: English, Class: Z: Bibliography, Library science, Release Date: Aug 7, 2014

Editor's review

This is a bookseller's catalogue dated May 30, 1889, compiled and printed by John B. Alden, and belongs to the literature of bibliography and library science (Class Z). Its value lies not in narrative but in its value as historical evidence: the catalogue records the titles, editions and prices then available for purchase, offering first-hand material for the study of late nineteenth-century American book trade, reading tastes and publishing ecology. Project Gutenberg has digitized it, making this once-scarce commercial imprint publicly searchable. Read it as a "historical reading list": observe which authors and subjects were marked "choice," and infer the knowledge structure and consumption habits of readers of the time. For scholars of book history, bibliography and print culture it is a citable primary source; for general readers it is more a window onto the book trade of an earlier age, suited to dipping into rather than reading through.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Book historians studying late nineteenth-century American publishing and the book trade
Students and practitioners of library science and bibliography
Collectors interested in antiquarian catalogues and edition information
Humanities and social science researchers needing primary bibliographical material for papers

Not a good fit for

General readers expecting continuous narrative or a literary reading experience
Beginners unfamiliar with bibliographical terminology who need modern annotation
Book buyers seeking information on currently in-print titles

Reading tips

Read the introductory matter before and after the catalogue to establish its arrangement and scope.
Excerpt entries by author or subject to build your own list of interests.
Compare with contemporary publishing-history sources to analyse the reading fashions the catalogue reflects.
No need to read straight through; search for a particular author or title and read the relevant entries closely.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Which books does this catalogue contain?

The material only identifies it as the Alden firm's "choice books" catalogue of May 30, 1889, without listing specific titles. The contents must be consulted in the catalogue itself, which readers can use as a primary bibliographical document.

How does it differ from an ordinary reading list?

It is a sales catalogue issued by a late nineteenth-century commercial publisher, carrying edition and price information; it is a bibliographical historical source, not a recommendation list for modern readers choosing books.

What background is needed to read this catalogue?

Basic English reading ability is advisable, along with familiarity with the author, title and edition fields of bibliographical records. For research use, a grasp of the basic outlines of nineteenth-century American publishing history also helps.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Alden, John B. (John Berry), 1847-1924 Author

John B. Alden (1847–1924), whose full name was John Berry Alden, is known only through limited public sources; his nationality, education, and professional career cannot be reliably verified. Two of his works are currently held in the collection: Alden's Handy Atlas of the World and The Alden Catalogue of Choice Books, May 30, 1889. Judging from their titles, his writing and publishing activities leaned toward practical reference works and bibliography: the former offers general readers concise, easy-to-consult geographical information about the world, while the latter organizes and recommends books in the form of a classified catalogue, serving readers' book selection and the circulation of books. Such publications value clear arrangement, easy lookup, and accurate information, emphasizing practicality and readability rather than ornate prose. Because historical sources are scarce, the circulation and influence of his works remain difficult to ascertain; only these two bibliographical works hint at his interest in and contribution to reference books and book cataloguing.