Leary's Book Store Records
Collection ID
SPC.MSS.PP003
Collecting Areas
Description
Collection Summary
Title
Leary’s Book Store Records
Dates
Circa 1840-1969
Collection ID
SPC.MSS.PP003
Creator
Leary’s Book Store
Quantity
21 boxes + 91 bound volumes
Repository
Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries
Language
Materials in English
Detailed Collection Information
Historical Note
In 1836, at the age of 20, William A. Leary, a small-time book seller in Baltimore, journeyed to Philadelphia. He established a sidewalk book stall on North Second Street which attracted a large clientele because of its close proximity to the Old Market. As business prospered, Leary moved to several different locations, finally settling at 138 North Second Street which was right next door to the Camel Tavern, a landmark in Philadelphia.
Leary’s Book Store specialized in selling inexpensive, second-hand books. From the outset, the store adhered to a non-pressure sales approach. Leary’s employees were instructed to leave patrons alone unless their assistance was requested. The idea behind this practice was that customers would actually discover and purchase more books while they freely searched through the stacks and shelves. Because of its large inventory and cheap prices, Leary’s developed a national reputation and attracted prominent figures such as U.S. Senator Charles Sumner and writer/reformer Horace Greeley.
In addition to selling and buying books, Leary expanded his base of operations by venturing into the publishing business in the 1850s. He formed a publishing company known as Leary and Getz which produced small, hard-cover pocket books called "Grandfather Leary’s Premium Toy Books" and published books sold primarily by vendors called "Leary’s Bricks." Leary and Getz published several best selling books such as Dr Buchan’s Family Physician, The Lives of Remarkable and Eccentric Characters, and Military Heroes of the War of 1812.
William A. Leary, Jr. took over the book store business from his father in 1865. He moved his establishment in 1868 to the southeast corner of 5th and Walnut Streets, an area bustling with lawyers, professionals, and tourists visiting Independence Hall. An illness contracted during the Civil War greatly hindered Leary’s strength in running his store. He placed a help wanted advertisement in the newspaper to which Edwin S. Stuart, a 13 year old boy, responded. Stuart was hired as an errand boy who delivered books in a wheelbarrow. As Leary Jr.’s health deteriorated, Stuart became manager of the establishment. Stuart continued in that role after Leary, Jr. died in 1874. On January 1, 1876, Stuart and Charles Mann purchased the store from the Leary Estate. Despite the change in ownership, the name of the store remained the same.
After acquiring Leary’s, Stuart decided to move the store to a better location. City Hall was about to relocate to Broad and Market Streets and a new post office was about to be built along 9th Street. Desiring to take advantage of this westward shift, Stuart purchased the property of T. J. Perkins and Co., a dry goods house located at 9 South Ninth Street. After some refurbishments were made to the edifice, Leary’s moved into its new home in September 1877.
Hoping to attract the attention of tens of thousands of visitors to the Centennial Exhibition, Stuart made what turned out to be a monumental decision regarding the interior and the exterior of his store. He decided to have Carl Spitweg’s (1808-1885) painting "Der Bucherworm" (The Book Worm) painted on a stained glass on the second floor of the store and a much larger version of the painting on the outside of the building. The painting fully captured the essence and atmosphere of Leary’s. It featured a man standing on a step ladder intensely reading a book in his left hand while holding an open book in his right hand. The man also had a book tucked under his elbow and another volume lodged between his knees for quick reference. The Book Worm image very quickly became Leary’s trademark.
When Stuart decided to pursue a political career (he served as mayor of Philadelphia from 1891-1895 and as governor of Pennsylvania from 1907-1911), he relinquished managerial duties to his brother and partner William H. Stuart. The Stuart’s continued Leary’s non-pressure approach but added several new techniques to attract additional business. Countering the trend of most book sellers at the time who dealt only in rare books or in collector’s items, Leary’s bought and sold mass quantities of second-hand volumes. The store also did an extensive amount of business in selling publishers remainders. It developed a reputation as the store of choice to sell used books. The store aggressively purchased the personal libraries of large book collectors throughout the country, such as the collection of Dr. J. G. Armstrong of Atlanta, Georgia, whose volumes were valued at $10,000 and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Field’s library for $12,000. The Stuarts also broke from Leary’s tradition by selling brand new books on their shelves.
Under the Stuart’s management, Leary’s became one of the largest old book dealers in the world. It also was represented as the oldest, continuously active, book store in the United States. During a legal confrontation with their neighbor Gimbels in the mid-1920s, the Stuarts decided to modernize their store. While the building underwent renovations, Leary’s temporarily relocated to 1214 Arch Street where it conducted business from November 1, 1925, to April 1927. On April 4, 1927, the new store opened for business. The new facility featured 7 floors, a basement, and a sub-basement all of which eased over-crowding in the stacks and shelves and eliminated the need for a separate warehouse building.
Leary’s business continued to expand as the twentieth century progressed. In 1949, for instance, the store contained more than 900,000 volumes of books, spanning 106 departments which covered 6 and 6/10 miles of shelves. It sold nearly 40,000 books per week and obtained an average of 37,000 second-hand books per week. It had the inventory and ambiance of a library. The store became an essential stopping place for literary figures around the world. One of the most prominent customers of the store was Christopher Morley, who used Leary’s as a setting for one of his chapters of the Haunted Book Shop.
While the Bible, dictionaries, and Horatio Alger novels represented some of the big sellers at Leary’s, there were many instances where a major find took place in the store. One customer purchased a first edition of Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets for 10 cents and quickly resold it for $5,000. Leary’s loved the publicity generated from those type of discoveries. Occasionally, books and documents of great historical significance were discovered at Leary’s. A book written by one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was found in the store. The author not only signed the volume, but presented it to George Washington, who, in turn, also autographed it as well. The greatest discovery at Leary’s took place in December 1968 when a "lost" copy of the Declaration of Independence was found in an unopened crate. This copy represented one of the first printings done on July 4, 1776, by John Dunlap, the official printer for the Continental Congress. It was eventually auctioned off for $404,000.
As more people moved to and shopped in the suburbs, Leary’s customer base declined. W. Stuart Emmons, grandson of William H. Stuart, focused most of his attention on his oil business rather than on the book store. Consequently, Leary’s went out of business on November 20, 1968. The books from the store were auctioned off by Samuel T. Freeman in 1969.
Description of Collection
The Leary’s Book Store archives, dating from the 1840s to 1969, is divided into two series, "Records" and "Bound Volumes/Ledgers." The first series, Records, consists of boxes which are arranged chronologically and by subject matter. There are specific boxes devoted to financial statements, trial balances, and income tax material. Other boxes contain general business correspondence, photographs of the interior and exterior of the store, information pertaining to the legal dispute with Gimbels, catalogues and school books published by Leary’s, and secondary newspaper and magazine articles written about the store. The second portion of the collection consists of bound volumes pertaining to Leary’s business dealings. This includes general ledgers, cash books, payroll books, accounts receivable, mail orders journals, and scrapbooks of advertisements taken out by the store.
Organization and Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series as follows:
Series 1: Records, 1844-1969
Subseries 1.1: Nineteenth Century Material, 1957-1898
Subseries 1.2: Leary and Getz Publishing Material, 1844-1907
Subseries 1.3: General Incorporation and Legal Material, 1875-1943
Subseries 1.4: Early Twentieth Century Material, 1902-1927
Subseries 1.5: Dispute with Gimbels Department Store and Modernization of the Leary Store, 1922-1927
Subseries 1.6: Correspondence and Miscellaneous Items, 1930s-1960s
Subseries 1.7: Bound Leary Catalogues, Early Twentieth Century, 1898-1910
Subseries 1.8: Bound Leary Catalogues, undated
Subseries 1.9: Lists and Catalogues Issues by Leary’s, 1873-1966
Subseries 1.10: Pamphlets and Publications Pertaining to the Store, 1920-1927
Subseries 1.11: Photographs, Articles, and Correspondence Regarding Leary’s, 1877-1969
Subseries 1.12: Glass Negatives (in small negative storage box), undated
Subseries 1.13: Secondary Articles on Leary’s (in oversize box), 1924-1966
Subseries 1.14: Printing image carriers: Half-tone blocks, Linecuts, Electrotypes, Copper plates, and one Wood-engraved block
Subseries 1.15: Oversize Posters, Placards and Montages, 1959-1962
Subseries 1.16: Posters and Prints (unboxed), 1870-1887
Subseries 1.17: Duplicates, 1920-1927
Subseries 1.18: Financial Records, 1902-1927
Subseries 1.19: Financial Materials, 1940s-1960s
Subseries 1.20: Tax Material, 1950s-1960s
Subseries 1.21: Payroll Material, 1958-1968
Series 2: Bound Volumes/Ledgers, 1972-1961
Patron Information
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Temple University’s online library catalog: http://diamond.temple.edu/record=b1610522~S12
Research Access
Collection is open for research.
Collections Stored Off-Site
This collection may be housed off-site at the Library Depository, and require up to two business days to retrieve. Please review the finding aid and be prepared to identify specific materials to be retrieved. Contact the Special Collections Research Center in advance of your visit, so that materials may be relocated to the reading room for research.
Publication and Copyright Information
The Leary’s Book Store Records the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Temple University holds literary rights only for material created by university employees and to material given to the university with such rights specifically assigned. For all other material, literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Preferred Citation
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Leary’s Book Store Records, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Related Material
Temple University Libraries Special Collections Research Center: Leary and Leary and Getz book imprints; and Edwin S. Stuart papers, 1884-1937, SPC.MSS.SP001.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
This manuscript collection was a gift to Temple University by the president of Leary’s Book Store, Inc., W. Stuart Emmons (died l979), in July 1976 (physical pickup took place on 14 July and 23 July 1976). Additional documents, the Leary name and the rights, title and interest in the Leary trademark "Book Worm", were purchased by the George S. MacManus Company, Inc.
Processing Information
The creation of the electronic guide for this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project. Finding aid prepared by Andrew Harrison. Finding aid entered into the Archivists' Toolkit by Garrett Boos in February 2011.
Index Terms
The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in Temple University’s electronic catalog:
Personal/Family Names:
Davenport, Charles.
Mann, Charles N.
Mencken, H. L. (Henry Louis), 1880-1956.
Stuart, Edwin S. (Edwin Sydney), 1853-1937.
Corporate Names:
Gimbel Brothers.
Leary & Getz.
Leary's Book Store.
Leary, Stuart, and Company.
W.A. Leary & Co.
Subjects:
Booksellers and bookselling
Bookstores
Publishers and publishing
Places:
Philadelphia (Pa.)
Material Types:
Booksellers’ catalogs.
Business records.
Correspondence.
Financial records.
Legal documents.
Photographs.
Inventory
Series 1: Records, 1844-1969
Subseries 1.1: Nineteenth Century Material, 1898-1957
1 Financial receipt, 1857.
1 Miscellaneous items, 1865-1867.
1 Financial records, receipts, letters of inquiry, and orders, 1869.
1 Financial records, receipts, letters of inquiry, and orders, 1870.
1 Correspondence, 1871, 1875, l878.
1 Advertisements for Leary’s at 5th and Walnut Streets, undated.
1 Publicity for store, 1871.
1 Correspondence, 1880-1882.
1 Book Stock offer From John W. Lovell, 1882.
1 Correspondence, 1884.
1 Advertisement for Leary’s in Literary Monitor Volume 2. No 11, [1884 November].
1 Searches v. Charles N. Mann et. al., 1885 June 4.
1 Correspondence, 1885-1886.
1 Correspondence, 1887.
1 General correspondence, 1889.
1 Correspondence, 1890-1891.
1 Correspondence, 1896-1898.
1 Leary’s solicitation of business, undated.
Subseries 1.2: Leary and Getz Publishing Material, 1844-1907
2 Proscriptions and receipt book, 1844-1845.
2 Blank notebook, 1847.
2 Mathematics notebook, 1847-1850.
2 Mathematics notebooks, 1847-1848.
2 Mathematics notebook, 1851-1853.
2 School Lessons books, undated.
2 Cover for Leary’s notebook for 1857; note cards for 1850,1859, 1857, 1850, 1859.
2 Cover sheet for "Valuable Historical, and Theological, and Miscellaneous Books" published by W.A. Leary; W. A Leary and Getz; A small and large pamphlet is included in this folder, undated.
2 Blank notebooks published by Leary’s, undated.
2 Mathematics notebook, undated.
2 Watson Annals papers (relating to Leary’s publishing the title), 1876-1885.
2 Cover for stock account book, 1882.
2 Scrapbook of opera articles, 1906-1907.
Subseries 1.3: General Incorporation and Legal Material, 1875-1943
3 Agreements of partnership, Mann and Stuart, 1875, 1880, 1885.
3 Power of Attorney, Stuart and Stuart, 1901 March 18.
3 Articles of incorporation between Edwin S. Stuart and William H. Stuart, 1906.
3 Articles of incorporation: Leary Stuart Co., 1927 May 13.
3 Contracts of employment: Warner, Wilkins, McGrath, Stuart, and Hoag, 1927 May.
3 Bill of sale between Leary, Stuart and Co. and the Leary, Stuart Co., 1927 May.
3 Leases, 1927, 1931, 1938, 1943.
3 Specifications for alteration of the store, undated.
3 Blueprints for the store, undated.
Subseries 1.4: Early Twentieth Century Material, 1902-1927
4 Retail mercantile licenses beginning in 1902, 1902.
4 Correspondence, 1902-1904.
4 Correspondence, 1905.
4 Correspondence, 1906-1920.
4 Newspaper articles on books, book stores and miscellaneous topics, 1910s.
4 Financial material, 1918-1919.
4 Financial correspondence pertaining to taxes, 1920-1925.
4 Underwriters certificates for repairs and inspection, 1905-1909.
4 Telephone contracts for the store, 1902-1911.
4 Insurance material, 1908-1909.
4 Bonds with Guaranty companies, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1920, 1921.
4 William H. Stuart investment information, 1920s.
4 Comparative sales January 1925 with sales, l920s-1924.
4 Comparative sales February 1925 with sales, l920s-1924.
4 Comparative sales March 1925 with sales, l920s-l924.
4 Comparative sales April 1925 with sales, l920s-1924.
4 Comparative sales May 1925 with sales, l920s-1924.
4 Comparative sales June 1925 with sales, 1920s-1924.
4 Comparative sales October 1925 with sales, l920s-1924.
4 Comparative sales November 1925 with sales, l920s-l924.
4 Financial records and business dealings, 1925.
4 Financial records and business dealings, 1926.
4 Financial records and business dealings, 1927.
4 General correspondence, 1929.
Subseries 1.5: Dispute with Gimbels Department Store and Modernization of the Leary Store, 1922-1927
5 Newspapers clippings regarding Gimbels’ expansion and Leary’s store, 1922-1927.
5 Chronology of events regarding dispute with Gimbels, undated.
5 Correspondence concerning Gimbels’ expansion and Leary’s building, 1922-1923.
5 Correspondence concerning Gimbels’ expansion and Leary’s building, 1924-1926.
5 Materials regarding Gimbels v. Stuart, [1925].
5 Description and examination of Leary’s store (includes photographs), 1925-1926.
5 William Steele and Sons Co. contracts for Leary’s new building, 1926-1927.
5 Non-William Steele contracts for new building, 1926-1927.
5 Materials on Gimbels v. Stuart, 1926-1928.
5 Newspaper clippings pertaining to Gimbels v. Stuart, undated.
5 Opening of Leary’s new store, 1927 April 4.
5 Newspaper clippings regarding opening of new store.
Subseries 1.6: Correspondence and Miscellaneous Items, 1930s-1960s
6 Correspondence, 1930s.
6 Correspondence, 1940s.
6 Two miscellaneous envelopes addressed to Leary’s, 1949.
6 Miscellaneous items, l960s.
6 Miscellaneous items from the store (varies in time span), 1930s-1960s.
6 Influence of Leary’s store (information on book-buyers), 1930s-1960s.
6 Book orders, 1969.
6 Auction of Leary’s rare books and manuscripts, 1969 January 14, 1969 May 5-6.
Subseries 1.7: Bound Leary Catalogues, Early Twentieth Century, 1898-1910
7 1898 October 1-December 1.
7 1902 December 1-1903 November 30.
7 1903-1904 April 18.
7 1904 December 1-1905 November 30.
7 1905 December 1-1906 November 30.
7 1906 December 1-1907 November 22.
7 1907 November 23-1908 November 30.
7 1909-1910.
Subseries 1.8: Bound Leary Catalogues, undated
8 Bound catalogues, undated
Subseries 1.9: Lists and Catalogues Issues by Leary’s, 1873-1966
9 Supplemental Catalogue of Miscellaneous books and Rare Pamphlets regarding US history for Sale by William Leary, Jr. No. 5 (Contained in a folder), [1873 December].
9 The Book Worm (hard copy), 1877 January-1879 June.
9 The Book Worm, No. 2 (3 copies), 1877 May.
9 The Book Worm, No. 3, 1879 March.
9 The Book Worm, No. 4, 1879 June.
9 Text Books used at the Jefferson Medical College, 1909-1910.
9 Text Books used at the Jefferson Medical College, 1911-1912.
9 Text Books used at the Jefferson Medical College, 1912-1913.
9 Reminders for school and college text books, 1934-1935.
9 Books for the physician and surgeon (3 copies), undated.
9 Medical books (2 copies), undated.
9 Medical, Surgical, Dental Veterinary, Biology and the Allied Sciences, 1918-1919.
9 Sporting Books (3 copies), [1935].
9 Standard Sets, Art, and Architecture (3 copies), undated.
9 Golden Opportunities for Lovers of Books Beautiful, undated.
9 Books for the Holiday and All other Days, undated.
9 Startling Bargains in Books, undated.
9 Remarkable Reductions in Famous Books, undated.
9 Marvelous Bargains in Books, undated.
9 A Mine of Book Bargains, undated.
9 Leary’s Latest Book News, undated.
9 Schaum’s Outline Series: Including Theory and Solved Problems, undated.
9 Books (3 copies), undated.
9 Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania (2 copies), undated.
9 Desirable Books on Many Subjects (2 copies), undated.
9 Handsomely Bound Books, undated.
9 A Catalogue on Books on Various Subjects (2 copies), undated.
9 Catalogue of Second-Hand and New Theological Books (3 copies), undated.
9 Untitled catalogue, undated.
9 Interesting Book News: Exceptional Values in Attractive Books-Many For Gift Giving (2 copies), undated.
9 Books for Gifts (3 copies), [1936].
9 Book Bargains, undated.
9 Leary’s Medical and Surgical Book Department, undated.
9 Book Bargains, undated.
9 Wonderful Book Bargains, undated.
9 A Little List of Some Notable Books on Hypnotism Telepathy Spiritualism and Psychical Research in general, undated.
9 Worth While Holiday Books, undated.
9 Holiday Book Sale, [1966].
9 Big Book Sale Savings up to 80%, undated.
Subseries 1.10: Pamphlets and Publications Pertaining to the Store, 1920-1927
10 Leary’s of Philadelphia by Don Rose (4 copies), undated.
10 A Famous Book Store In a New Home by Joseph Jackson (3 copies), [1927].
10 The Story of the Book Worm by the Evening Bulletin (3 copies), undated.
10 An Old Landmark A Famous Bookstore by Joseph Jackson (3 copies), [1920].
10 Program for the opening of the new store (4 copies), 1927 April 4.
10 Post cards advertising for new store (5 copies), undated.
10 A Facsimile copy of the 1874 patent for "A New and Improved Portable Court for Playing the Ancient Game of Tennis" published with the compliments of Leary’s (3 copies), undated.
10 Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States and How to Become a Citizen published by Leary’s (3 copies), undated.
10 Postcards of the stained glass portrait of the Book Worm on the second floor of the store (4 copies), undated.
Subseries 1.11: Photographs, Articles, and Correspondence Regarding Leary’s, 1877-1969
11 Window display photographs taken by photographer De’Lardi from the Philadelphia Inquirer, 1940 March 15.
11 1 From Urban Archives/Photojournalism: Display of Ragged Dick Series: Rufus and Rose (Horatio Alger) and Display of In Freedoms Cause by G.A. Henty; With Lee in Virginia by Henty, undated.
11 2 From Urban Archives/Photojournalism: Display of Books by Alger, Oliver Optic, Henty etc.; Display of Starry Flag Series by Optic and The Blue and the Gray, undated.
11 3 undated.
11 4 From Urban Archives/Photojournalism: Display of inside cover of With Lee in Virginia; Inside cover of Adrift in the city, undated.
11 5 From Urban Archives/Photojournalism: Display of inside cover of In Freedom’s Cause; Inside cover of Freaks of Fortune, undated.
11 6 Photo of front of store showing Gimbels on both sides, undated.
11 7 Photo of interior of store showing subject stacks and customers, undated.
11 10 Photo of interior of store showing subject stacks and customers, undated.
11 12 Photo of exterior of store being built in 1926, after 1926.
11 13 Magazine photo of Leary’s between Market and Chestnut Streets, undated.
11 14 Photo of Leary’s along 9th Street, 1938 October 20.
11 15 Photo of exterior display case of store, undated.
11 16 Photo of construction work for new facility, 1925.
11 17 Photo of [alley of store], undated.
11 18 Photo of Schell Street looking north, 1925 February 2.
11 8 Negative of back alley of store, undated.
11 9 Photo of alley of the store, undated.
11 20 Negative photos of construction for Gimbels, 1925 September 19.
11 21 Negatives of views of the store, 1925 February 2.
11 23 Photo of Leary’s along 9th Street, undated.
11 Photo of interior display featuring portraits of new store, Book Worm, William A. Leary, etc, undated.
11 24 Photos of construction of new post office building, on cardboard, 1877 July 12.
11 Photo of [William A. Leary, Jr.], undated.
11 Small photo negatives of interior and exterior of store, undated.
11 Photographs of Leary’s exterior and interior, on cardboard, undated.
11 Photograph of Leary’s first Literary Award, 1962 June 12.
11 Photos taken near closing of store, 1968 November 20.
11 Photos taken concerning closing auction, 1968 November-1969 January.
11 Photos of Leary’s getting ready for auction, 1969 January 13.
11 Secondary articles on Leary’s, undated.
11 Newspapers articles about Edwin S. Stuart, undated.
11 Copies of Joseph Jackson’s An old Landmark A famous Book Store, [1920].
11 Written material relating to Leary’s Second Annual Literary Award, 1963.
11 Group of letters from H. L. Mencken to Leary’s, 1930-1934.
11 Group of letters from H. L. Mencken to Leary’s, 1935-1942.
11 Two letters from James Michener regarding the 125th Anniversary of the store, undated.
11 Letter from Elizabeth S. Ives (sister of Adlai Stevenson) to Leary’s, 1952 August 30.
Subseries 1.12: Glass Negatives (in small negative storage box), undated
12 Book order to or from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, undated.
12 Three men standing alongside of store with Converse College package in background, undated.
12 Man standing beside a truck carrying Converse College package, undated.
12 Three men unloading Converse College material, undated.
12 Converse College material on a truck, undated.
12 Truck with book crates on it, undated.
Subseries 1.13: Secondary Articles on Leary’s (in oversize box), 1924-1966
13 "It’s Spring in Philadelphia," by Frank Brookhauser, Pageant, 1958 May.
13 "The Old Bookworm Keeps Turning Slowly," Business Week, 1964 September 12.
13 "Was Stanton Behind Lincoln’s Murder?" by Robert H. Fowler. Civil War Times (2 copies), 1961 August-September.
13 "Old Book Store in the Heart of Quaker City," by William A. M’Gary, The Dearborn Independent, 1924 November 29.
13 Mid-Atlantic Graphic Arts Review (cover of magazine shows Leary’s and a reference is made to the Book Worm on page 51), 1966 May.
13 "House of a Million Books," by Pete Martin, The Saturday Evening Post (7 copies), 1949 June 18.
Subseries 1.14: Printing image carriers: Half-tone blocks, Linecuts, Electrotypes, Copper plates, and one Wood-engraved block
Note: artifacts 6-10, 12-18, 20-21, and 23-24 are photographs found in Box 11, 1915-1936. All photo-mechanical relief-etched plates unless otherwise noted, all mounted type-high unless otherwise noted.
14 1 Partial color plate of exterior of store, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 2 Partial color plate of exterior of store, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 3 Partial color plate, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 4 Partial color plate, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 5 Partial color plate, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 6 Partial color plate, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 7 Partial color plate, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 8 Partial color plate, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 9 Partial color plate, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 10 Partial color plate image of a man, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 11 Partial color plate, not mounted, intaglio, undated.
14 12 Image of a man [possibly William A. Leary], undated.
14 13 Interior of store, undated.
14 14 Interior of store, undated.
14 15 Interior of store with customers, undated.
14 16 Interior of store showing several floors, undated.
14 17 Exterior of the store, undated.
14 18 Smaller version of exterior of store prior to renovations, undated.
14 19 Exterior of store (long view showing customers) prior to renovation of the store, undated.
14 20 Long exterior view of store noting bookselling prior to renovations of store, undated.
14 21 Interior of the store showing customers, undated.
14 22 Long exterior view of the building prior to renovations to the store, undated.
14 23 Exterior of the building showing customers, horse wagons, signs on building, etc. prior to renovations to the store, undated.
14 24 Exterior of the building prior to renovations to the store (Copper), undated.
14 25 Exterior of the building prior to renovations to the store, undated.
14 26 Leary, Stuart Co. masthead, undated.
14 27 Leary, Stuart Co. Statement masthead, undated.
14 28 The Story of the Book Worm (half-tone within relief cut), undated.
14 29 The Book Worm hanging outside of modernized store, undated.
14 30 Interior of the store at the upper levels, undated.
14 31 Ad, "A treat for Book Lovers", undated.
14 32 Ad for store featuring the Book Worm in the middle (Copper relief, cracked), undated.
14 33 Image of book: Thesaurus, undated.
14 34 Ad specifying telephone number and hours open, undated.
14 35 At the Sign of the Book Worm, undated.
14 36 Ad for Leary, Stuart Co. Book buyers and Book Sellers, letterhead, undated.
14 37 Leary’s Book Store, undated.
14 38 Exteriors of store, "1836-1936", 1836-1936.
14 39 Exterior of store next to Camel Tavern, undated.
14 40 Interior of store, undated.
14 41 Ad, Largest Book Store, undated.
14 42 Extra large plate with Book Worm and praise for Leary’s stock (not mounted), undated.
14 43 The Book Worm, for envelope use, undated.
14 44 Interior of the store showing customers, undated.
14 45 Interior of store showing large stacks of books, undated.
14 46 Interior of store showing stacks, undated.
14 47 A Famous Bookstore in a New Home ([trial cut], not mounted), undated.
14 48 Horoscope data sheet, undated.
14 49 Ad for Large Old Book store in America (half-tone), undated.
14 49 Leary masthead (sic), undated.
14 50 The Book Worm, undated.
14 51 Book Worm (half-tone, not mounted), undated.
14 52 Book Worm (half-tone, not mounted), undated.
14 53 The Book Worm, undated.
14 54 The Book Worm (half-tone), undated.
14 55 The Book Worm (half-tone, not mounted), undated.
14 56 Image of a man, undated.
14 57 Quote from John Wanamaker, 1915 November 3.
14 58 Quote from John Wanamaker, 1915 November 3.
14 59 Exterior of the building showing all 7 floors, undated.
14 60 A...In...A Booklet cover cut, undated.
14 61 From Leary’s Book Store, label, undated.
14 62 Advertisement "Largest Book Store", undated.
14 63 Advertisement: The Largest Book Store in America, undated.
14 64 Exterior of the building showing all 7 floors (half-tone, yellow printing plate, not mounted), undated.
14 65 Exterior of the building showing all 7 floors (half-tone, blue printing plate, not mounted), undated.
14 66 Exterior of the building showing all 7 floors (half-tone, red printing plate, not mounted), undated.
14 67 Exterior of building showing 7 floors (halftone within relief border), undated.
14 68 The Book Worms says, undated.
14 69 Holy Bible (half-tone), undated.
14 70 Encyclopedia of Philadelphia, undated.
14 71 Holy Bible (copper, relief), undated.
14 72 Holy Bible (copper, relief, not mounted), undated.
14 73 Holy Bible (copper, relief, not mounted), undated.
14 74 Holy Bible (copper, relief, not mounted), undated.
14 75 Holy Bible (copper, relief, not mounted), undated.
14 76 Book published by Oxford (copper, relief, not mounted), undated.
14 77 Oxford cyclopedic book (copper, relief, not mounted), undated.
14 78 The Gospel according to St. John (copper, relief, not mounted), undated.
14 79 Ad, Leary’s, America’s Largest Old Book Store, undated.
14 80 Engraved wood block (2 sections dowled together showing Leary’s next to Camel Tavern; this artifact is in the display case in Special Collections), undated.
Subseries 1.15: Oversize Posters, Placards and Montages, 1959-1962
15 1 100th Anniversary color printing of the Book Worm, undated.
15 2 Large color postcard published by Leary’s featuring "A Little Book Worm (little boy standing on a step stool reading a book at night), undated.
15 3 One color and many black and white duplicates of the Book Worm, undated.
15 4 Cardboard pictures in a plastic sleeve featuring Leary’s when it had 3 floors, a horizontal view of the store, and a picture of the Book Worm, undated.
15 5 Cardboard advertisement for the store, undated.
15 6 Cardboard showing various different stores used by Leary’s as well as book stores owners, undated.
15 7 Cardboard showing customers in store, undated.
15 8 Cardboard showing long view of the store, undated.
15 9 Cardboard of shipping department and stock room, undated.
15 10 Cardboard of interior of store showing various, undated.
15 11 Departments such as Theological and Medical books, undated.
15 12 Cardboard of the School Book Department, undated.
15 13 Portrait of an owner of the store [not clear which one], undated.
15 14 Portrait of an owner of the store [not clear which one], undated.
15 15 Don Rose’s article on Leary’s (mounted onto to several different pieces of cardboard), undated.
15 16 Miscellaneous cartoons about books, undated.
15 17 Greater Philadelphia Magazine Pioneer Business Award to Leary’s, 1959 October 14.
15 18 Cardboard copy of Leary’s Literary Award, 1962.
Subseries 1.16: Posters and Prints (unboxed), 1870-1887
Framed, printed wrapping from the store used in 1870, 1870.
Large poster published by Leary’s entitled "A Wonderful Book Store" (8 copies), undated.
Picture of [one of the Stuarts], by photographer F. Gutekunst, 1887 July 27.
Large cardboard picture showing most of the exterior of the store, undated.
Over-size reprint of the lost copy of the Declaration of Independence found at Leary’s, undated.
Poster by Leary’s entitled "Sell Your Books to Leary’s" (2 copies), undated.
Poster by Leary’s entitled "Sell Your Books to Leary’s" (different from previous entry), undated.
Large poster used in display of store featuring the Book Worm, advertisements of the store, envelopes addressed to Leary’s etc, undated.
Additions: July 1994: "The Bookworm" oil, after Carl Spitzweg (1808-1885) (on canvas, 35"x25"; framed, 41.5" x 31.5," unsigned), undated.
Additions: May 1995: Oval portraits of William A. Leary (1816-1886) and his wife Rachel Linton (1829-1910) (Oil on canvas, 29.5" x 24.5"; in oval frames; unsigned), undated.
Subseries 1.17: Duplicates, 1920-1927
16 "Leary’s of Philadelphia," by Don Rose, undated.
16 Program of opening of new store, 1927 April 4.
16 Postcards announcing of new store building, undated.
16 "The Story of the Book Worm," published by the Evening Bulletin, undated.
16 "The Old Landmark a Famous Bookstore," by Joseph Jackson, [1920].
16 Postcards of stained glass of Book Worm on second floor, undated.
17 A facsimile copy of the 1874 patent for "A New and Improved Portable Court for playing the Ancient Game of Tennis," with compliments of Leary's (30 copies), undated.
17 Leary’s catalogue Sporting Books (4 copies), undated.
17 Leary’s catalogue Standard Sets, Art and Architecture, undated.
17 Leary’s catalogue Books, undated.
17 Leary’s catalogue Books for Gifts, [1936].
17 Leary’s catalogue Books for the Physician and Surgeon (7 copies), undated.
Subseries 1.18: Financial Records, 1902-1927
18 Book Orders, 1902.
18 Financial Statements, trial balances, profits and losses, taxes, 1906-1916.
18 Comparative sales; merchandise costs, expenses, profits etc, 1913-1924.
18 Financial statements, trial balances, profits and losses, taxes, 1917.
18 Financial statements, trial balances, profits and losses, taxes, 1918.
18 Financial statements, trial balances, profits and losses, taxes, 1920-1922.
18 Financial statements, trial balances, profits and losses, no taxes, 1924-1926.
18 Financial statements, trial balances, profits and losses, income taxes, 1923-1925.
18 Financial statements and taxes, 1927.
Subseries 1.19: Financial Materials, 1940s-1960s
19 Financial records, 1940s.
19 General correspondence and financial materials, 1950s.
19 Financial records, 1950-1956.
19 Financial records, income tax statements, 1957-1959.
19 Financial statements (2 copies), 1951 January 31.
19 Financial statement, 1952 January 31.
19 Financial statement, 1953 January 31.
19 Financial statements (2 copies), 1957 January 31.
19 Financial statement, 1959 January 31.
19 Financial statement (3 copies), 1960 January 31.
19 Financial statements (4 copies), 1960 April 30.
19 Financial records, 1960-1961.
19 Financial and tax material, 1960s.
Subseries 1.20: Tax Material, 1950s-1960s
20 Taxes, 1958, 1959.
20 Taxes, 1962.
20 Taxes, 1963.
20 Taxes, 1964.
20 Taxes, 1965.
20 Taxes, 1966.
20 Taxes, 1967.
20 Receipts from register, 1968.
Subseries 1.21: Payroll Material, 1958-1968
21 Payroll, 1958.
21 Payroll, 1961-1968.
Series 2: Bound Volumes and Ledgers, 1872-1961
1 Accounts receivable, 1948-1951.
2 Accounts receivable, 1948-1953.
3 Accounts receivable, 1954-1956.
4 Accounts receivable, 1956-1957.
5 Ledger, 1875 January 1-September 30.
6 Ledger of expenses, 1904-1912.
7 General ledger, 1899-1905.
8 Ledger, 1907.
9 Ledger of expenses, 1913-1923.
10 Ledger, 1918 October-1922 May.
11 Ledger of expenses, 1923-1927.
12 Financial expense book, 1926-1927.
13 Ledger of expenses, 1927-1941.
14 Ledger, 1940 February-1941 July.
15 Ledger, 1941 August-1943 February.
16 Ledger, 1943 March-1944 December.
17 Expense ledger, 1945-1952.
18 Ledger, 1945 January-1946 October.
19 Ledger, 1946 November-1948 August.
20 Ledger, 1948 August-1950 July.
21 Ledger, 1949 April-1956 October.
22 Ledger, 1950 July-1952 June.
23 Ledger, 1952 June-1954 July.
24 Ledger, 1954 July-1956 October.
25 Ledger, 1956 October-1959 April.
26 Ledger, 1959 April-1960 May.
27 Expense ledgers, 1950s.
28 Sales record book, 1876 January 1-December 30.
29 Sales record book, 1877 January 1-1878 January 2.
30 Sales record book, 1878 January 1-October 15.
31 Sales record book, 1878 October-December 31.
32 Sales record book, 1895 January-1900 December.
33 Sales record book, 1901 January-1905 December.
34 Sales record book, 1906 September-1913 December.
35 Sales record book (1906-1919 in back of book), 1912 October-1919 September; 1906-1919.
36 Sales record book, 1919 October-1926 October.
37 Sales record book, 1921 December, 1895.
38 Sales record book (sales material pertaining to 1895 in back of book), 1895, 1922 January-1931.
39 Sales record book, 1926 November-1933 December.
40 Sales record book; comparisons made with 1916, 1932 January-1942 January.
41 Sales record book, 1933 December-1939 December.
42 Sales record book, 1937-1941.
43 Sales record book, 1940 January-1945 August.
44 Sales record book, 1942-1947.
45 Sales record book, 1942 January-1953 August.
46 Sales record book, 1948-1953.
47 Sales record book (oversize volume on top of books on 2nd shelf), 1953 September-1959 November.
48 Sales tax book, 1953 September-1955 August; 1956 March-1961.
49 Cash book, 1880 January 1-December 31.
50 Cash book, 1882 January 2-December 30.
51 Cash book, 1924.
52 Cash book (different from previous one), 1924.
53 Cash book, 1928-1931.
54 Check receipt book, 1929 March 15-1931 April 14.
55 Mail order book, 1872-1877 November.
56 Mail order book, 1878 March-1880 June.
57 Mail order book, 1896 November 16-1900 January 9.
58 Mail order book, 1944 April 20-1949 November 29.
59 Mail order book, 1945 November 29-1947 April 18.
60 Mail order book, 1947 April 19-1948 August 16.
61 Mail order book, 1948 August 16-1949 September 27.
62 Mail order book, 1949 September 28-1950 November 14.
63 Mail order book, 1950 November 14-1953 December 31.
64 Stock acquisition ledger, 1904-1919.
65 Stock book, 1883.
66 Stock book, 1887.
67 Stock book, 1888.
68 Stock book, 1904 July 15.
69 Inventory, 1923 January 31.
70 Inventory, 1944 January 31.
71 Stock book and customer orders, 1959 March 1-1960 February.
72 Payroll, 1937.
73 Payroll, 1940-1941.
74 Payroll, 1943.
75 Payroll, 1944-1945.
76 Payroll, 1961.
77 Wage book, 1905 February 10-1908 July 31.
78 Wage book, 1908 August 7-1912 April 12.
79 Wage book, 1912 April 19-1915 December 17.
80 Wage book, 1915 December 15-1919 August 22.
81 Wage book, 1919 August 29-1923 April 6.
82 Wage book, 1923 April 13-1926 December 3.
83 Wage book, 1926 December 26-1931 February 6.
84 Wage book, 1931 February 13-1935 May 24.
85 Wage book, 1935 May 31-1937 January 1.
86 Scrapbook of advertisements for books, 1881.
87 Scrapbook of Leary’s advertisements, 1892.
88 Scrapbook of Leary’s advertisements, 1910 October 21-1912 December 21.
89 Scrapbook of Leary’s Christmas Books, 1917 December 1-21.
90 Scrapbook of Leary’s advertisements and clippings, 1915-1924.
91 Corporate meetings, 1927-1945.
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