Applewood Books
Encyclopedia
Applewood Books is a book publishing company founded by Phil Zuckerman in 1976. They specialize in publishing exacting recreations of historic books, including complex reprints of children's art and pop-up books and other books published by methods which duplicate antique publishing techniques. They have more than 2000 titles in print. In recent years, the company has been working to increase the number of reprints it publishes. In 2007, the company published over 300 titles.
The company was named after the founder's grandparents Harry Apple and Lillian Apple. From 1976 to 1981, the company published young writers who were not yet recognized: Alan Cheuse
, Eric Kraft
, Julia Marcus, and Richard Currey, among others. An Applewood advertising poster from 1979 declared, "A Bushel of New Writers for a new Generation of Readers." In 1984, after near bankruptcy from the publication of a picture book on griffins, the company began to focus on "Books from America's Living Past." The first book they published under the new program was The American Frugal Housewife by Lydia Maria Child. This was published as a joint venture with a book sales representative, George Dawson, who later did a number of books with the company and began to publish under his own imprint. In 1985, Applewood published The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin which formed the basis for their "Books of American Wisdom" series, which still today remains a distinctive brand for the company. In 1987, the company entered into a joint venture with Affiliated Publications owners, at the time, of the Boston Globe and Globe Pequot Press
. Globe Pequot began to distribute and finance Applewood titles. In 1990, the company did a reprint of the 1939 publication of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
by Robert L. May
. Over the next ten years, the company sold 3.5 million copies of Rudolph books and tapes. In 1991, the company began reprinting juvenile series books. In 1992, they began reprinting early Disney reproductions. In 1994, they printed over 11 million copies of a pamphlet inspired by its Sketchbook of Bambi. In 1993, the company discontinued its relationship with Globe Pequot, purchasing back its inventory and selling its own books into museum and gift shops across the country and using Consortium Book Sales & Distribution for its representation to book stores. In 2005, the company became the first publisher to join Ingram Publisher Services, a new distribution company setup by the Ingram Companies, the largest book wholesaler in the world. This enabled Applewood to scale up its publishing program, dramatically increasing the number of titles it publishes.
Although Applewood Books initially had success with reprints of primary source books like Mourt's Relation, Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior, and What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking, since 1991, the company has made a name for itself with reprints of 19th and 20th-century children's books like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Mickey Mouse Pop-Up Book. In addition, they have developed a strong following for their reprints of juvenile novels like the Nancy Drew Mystery series and cookbooks by classic authors like Hannah Glasse
, Lydia Maria Child, Eliza Leslie
, Abby Fisher, Caroline Trask Norton and Karen Hess
. In the 1990s, Applewood published exact facsimiles of the first 5 HARDY BOYS Detective stories, complete with original cover art dustjackets, title page plates, and typeset from each titles original publishing dates [1927-1935] Recently, in 2007, they developed, with the Library of Congress
an extensive collection of historical travel memoirs from the 18th and 19th centuries and the typewritten Slave Narratives from member of the Federal Writer's Project. Because of the company's interest in cookbooks as documents of social history, in December 2007, they launched a culinary website, Foodsville, a social network for people interested in cookbooks and culinary history. This is a joint project between Applewood Books and Hewlett Packard. Currently, on the site, there are many cookbooks published before the 1930s all available for reading online, adding margin notes, and for purchase.
Applewood Books acquired Commonwealth Editions in August 2010.
The company was named after the founder's grandparents Harry Apple and Lillian Apple. From 1976 to 1981, the company published young writers who were not yet recognized: Alan Cheuse
Alan Cheuse
Alan Cheuse is an American writer and critic, the son of a Russian immigrant father and a mother of Romanian descent. He graduated from Perth Amboy High School in 1957 and Rutgers University in 1961. After traveling abroad and working for several years at various writing and editing jobs, he...
, Eric Kraft
Eric Kraft
Eric Kraft is an American novelist. He is known for his series of novels that make up "The Personal History, Adventures, Experiences and Observations of Peter Leroy". Each novel tells of some aspect of the fictional Peter Leroy's life, with several of them supposed to have been written by Leroy...
, Julia Marcus, and Richard Currey, among others. An Applewood advertising poster from 1979 declared, "A Bushel of New Writers for a new Generation of Readers." In 1984, after near bankruptcy from the publication of a picture book on griffins, the company began to focus on "Books from America's Living Past." The first book they published under the new program was The American Frugal Housewife by Lydia Maria Child. This was published as a joint venture with a book sales representative, George Dawson, who later did a number of books with the company and began to publish under his own imprint. In 1985, Applewood published The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin which formed the basis for their "Books of American Wisdom" series, which still today remains a distinctive brand for the company. In 1987, the company entered into a joint venture with Affiliated Publications owners, at the time, of the Boston Globe and Globe Pequot Press
Globe Pequot Press
Globe Pequot is the world's leading book publisher and distributor of outdoor recreation and leisure titles. Travelers, outdoor enthusiasts and horse lovers depend on the 500 new titles the division of Morris Communications publishes annually.-Imprints:...
. Globe Pequot began to distribute and finance Applewood titles. In 1990, the company did a reprint of the 1939 publication of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
by Robert L. May
Robert L. May (Rudolph)
Robert Lewis May was the creator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.-Life and career: Graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 1926...
. Over the next ten years, the company sold 3.5 million copies of Rudolph books and tapes. In 1991, the company began reprinting juvenile series books. In 1992, they began reprinting early Disney reproductions. In 1994, they printed over 11 million copies of a pamphlet inspired by its Sketchbook of Bambi. In 1993, the company discontinued its relationship with Globe Pequot, purchasing back its inventory and selling its own books into museum and gift shops across the country and using Consortium Book Sales & Distribution for its representation to book stores. In 2005, the company became the first publisher to join Ingram Publisher Services, a new distribution company setup by the Ingram Companies, the largest book wholesaler in the world. This enabled Applewood to scale up its publishing program, dramatically increasing the number of titles it publishes.
Although Applewood Books initially had success with reprints of primary source books like Mourt's Relation, Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior, and What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking, since 1991, the company has made a name for itself with reprints of 19th and 20th-century children's books like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Mickey Mouse Pop-Up Book. In addition, they have developed a strong following for their reprints of juvenile novels like the Nancy Drew Mystery series and cookbooks by classic authors like Hannah Glasse
Hannah Glasse
Hannah Glasse was an English cookery writer of the 18th century. She is best known for her cookbook, The Art of Cookery, first published in 1747...
, Lydia Maria Child, Eliza Leslie
Eliza Leslie
Eliza Leslie [frequently referred to as Miss Leslie] was an American author of popular cookbooks during the nineteenth century. She gained popularity for her books on etiquette as well.-Biography:...
, Abby Fisher, Caroline Trask Norton and Karen Hess
Karen Hess
Karen Loft Hess was an American culinary historian. Her 1977 book The Taste of America co-authored with her late husband, John L. Hess, established them as anti-establishment members of the culinary world....
. In the 1990s, Applewood published exact facsimiles of the first 5 HARDY BOYS Detective stories, complete with original cover art dustjackets, title page plates, and typeset from each titles original publishing dates [1927-1935] Recently, in 2007, they developed, with the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
an extensive collection of historical travel memoirs from the 18th and 19th centuries and the typewritten Slave Narratives from member of the Federal Writer's Project. Because of the company's interest in cookbooks as documents of social history, in December 2007, they launched a culinary website, Foodsville, a social network for people interested in cookbooks and culinary history. This is a joint project between Applewood Books and Hewlett Packard. Currently, on the site, there are many cookbooks published before the 1930s all available for reading online, adding margin notes, and for purchase.
Applewood Books acquired Commonwealth Editions in August 2010.