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.
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.
This collection is arranged in a single series with miscellaneous materials located at the end of the series.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions apply.
Fortune Press Records, 1896-1974
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Washington State University Libraries Pullman, WA
Smith, Timothy d'Arch.