Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Fortune Press Records, 1896-1974
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Fortune Press Records
- Dates
- 1896-1974 (inclusive)18961974
1929-1935 (bulk)19291935 - Quantity
- .25 feet of linear shelf space, (1 box)
- Collection Number
- Cage 652 (collection)
- Summary
- This collection consists chiefly of corporate records relating to Reginald Ashley Caton and the Fortune Press (London, England) between 1896 and 1974.
- Repository
-
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open and available for research use.
- Languages
- English, French
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Fortune Press, originally named Fortune and Merriman, was founded in 1924 by Reginald Ashley Caton (1897-1971) in London, England. From the beginning, Caton encountered legal copyright conflicts with Nonesuch Press in 1925 and 1926. Although the case was not ultimately taken to court, in 1934 Caton faced trial when ten of his books were condemned for obscene libel.
Timothy d'Arch Smith (1936- ), assistant and later owner of Fortune Press from 1970 to 1971, blamed Caton's lack of success on his poor distribution. Early 20th century antiquarian booksellers described his books as "curious," many of them involving violence, poverty, "amatory unorthodoxy," and other obscenities. Until its closing in 1971, the Fortune Press published more than 600 books under the efforts of Caton.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists chiefly of corporate records relating to Reginald Ashley Caton and the Fortune Press (London, England) between 1896 and 1974. Includes correspondence, invoices, receipts, handwritten production expenses, financial statements, and printed ephemera.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions apply.
Preferred Citation
Fortune Press Records, 1896-1974
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Washington State University Libraries Pullman, WA
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in a single series with miscellaneous materials located at the end of the series.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Correspondence | 1896-1974 |
| 1 | 2 | Invoices and receipts | 1929-1935 |
| 1 | 3 | Production expenses and financial statements, etc. | 1927-1935 |
| 1 | 4 | Printed ephemera | undated |
| 1 | 5 | Prospectus | circa 1927 |
| 1 | 6 | Miscellaneous items | circa 1900-1931 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Book industries and trade -- England -- London
- Publishers and publishing -- England
Corporate Names
- Fortune Press (London, England)
Morgan Clendenning
2013
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
