McLoughlin
Bros -- Publishers of Children's Books and Paper including Paper Dolls,
Blocks, Board Games and Valentines
This section of collection completers is dedicated to those missing McLoughlin bits and pieces, be they costumes, hats or even a doll or an envelope,
The following is an
excerpt prepared by Laura
Wasowicz, American Antiquarian
Society
The artistic and commercial roots of the
McLoughlin firm were first developed by John McLoughlin, Jr.
(1827-1905), who as a teenager learned wood engraving and printing while
working for Elton & Co.--a New York firm formed by his father John
McLoughlin, Sr. and engraver/printer Robert H. Elton. Elton & Co.
(active 1840-1851) printed and issued toy books, comic almanacs, and
valentines. Between 1850 and 1851, John McLoughlin, Sr. and Robert H.
Elton retired--giving John Jr. control of the business.(1)He
started to publish picture books under his own name, and soon acquired
the printing blocks of Edward Dunigan, a New York picture book publisher
for whom Robert Elton had executed many wood engravings.
According
to John McLoughlin, Jr.'s obituary in Publishers' Weekly (May 6, 1905),
he made his younger brother Edmund McLoughlin (1833 or 4-1889) a
partner in 1855. However, the firm was not listed in New York city
directories as McLoughlin Bros. until 1858. During the early years of
this partnership, the product line expanded to include non-book toys
including games, blocks, and paper dolls.
The following list of addresses for the various McLoughlin companies are found in Those Fascinating PAPER DOLLS, An Illustrated Handbook for Collectors by Marian B. Howard. Dover Publications, Inc. 1981. The addresses are useful in dating McLoughlin paper dolls and other publications.
1854-1863 -- 24 Beckman Street 1864-1870 -- 30 Beekman Street 1874 -- 52 Greene Street 1872-1886 -- 71 & 73 Duane Street 1887-1890 -- 623 Broadway 1891-1892 -- 623 Broadway and 190 Mercer 1893-1898 -- 874 Broadway 1899-1907 -- 890 Broadway 1908 -- 890 Broadway and 65 S. 11th, Brooklyn, NY 1920 -- 65 S. 11th, Brooklyn, NY
