Advertising Mailer for The Innocents Abroad
Before the middle of August 1869, the American Publishing Company produced a second circular to advertise The
Innocents Abroad. Formulated as a letter to newspaper editors, it reprinted extracts from six early, favorable reviews, edited by
Elisha Bliss to remove any allusions to coarseness or irreverence. The six uncredited notices were all later reprinted and identified
(or misidentified) by Bliss in a gathering of reviews for the prospectus and in other advertising materials (APC 1869 [bib11133], 1869
[bib11134], and 1870). They were from the Hartford
Courant (“The New Pilgrim’s Progress,” 31 July 69, 1); an unidentified
newspaper (“Mark Twain as a Pilgrim,” which Bliss subsequently confused with a reprint in the Salem [N.J.]
National Standard, 18 Aug 69, 2); the Elizabeth (N.J.) Journal (“The Innocents
Abroad,” no date, no page); the Hartford Times (“New Book by ‘Mark
Twain,’” 28 July 69, 2); and, entitled “Mark Twain” in the circular, a conflation of
reviews from two newspapers, the Meriden (Conn.) Republican (2 Aug 69, 2, source for all but the third
paragraph) and the Bridgeport (Conn.) Standard (no date, no page, third paragraph only). This copy of the
circular is dated 10 August and inscribed “Bliss & Co
137 Market St,” the name and address of
the Newark, New Jersey, subsidiary of the American Publishing Company.
Advertising mailer for The Innocents Abroad, top half. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations, New York City (NN-B).
Advertising mailer for The Innocents Abroad, bottom half.
