The Knight of Gwynne Advertiser First and nineteenth instalment for Charles Lever's The Knight of Gwynne; A Tale of the Time of the Union, on pages 21 cm by 12.2 cm (8 ¼ by 4 ¾ inches). [Click on the illustration to enlarge it.]
Commentary: Advertising Books and Host of Other Products
Although Chapman and Hall derived income from the sales of the monthly parts of novels by such authors as Lever and Dickens, a secondary source of revenue was the selling of advertising space at the back of each instalment. For the most part, the London publishing house was extolling its own wares, books that it was currently issuing; however, with a nice commercial sense, Chapman and Hall were prepared to use the back of each instalment to advertise such products as "Keating's Cough Lozenages," "Heal and Sons List of Bedding" and back-braces to support stooping shoulders ("Improved Elastic Chest Expander"). The most expensive position, however, was the verso of the monthly wrapper; for November, 1846, and July, 1847, for example, Rowland's Unique Preparations must have paid heavily for the privilege of advertising its Macassar Oil, "Kalydor," and "Odonto" prominently on the monthly wrapper.
Among the books that Chapman and Hall promoted at the back of "The Advertiser" are ehe following works from William Curry, Jun., Sackville-Street, Dublin, and W. S. Orr and Company, Paternoster-Row, London:
- Works of Charles Lever, Esq., Confessions of Harry Lorrequer with 22 illustrations by Phiz. 8vo, 12s. cloth.
- Works of Charles Lever, Esq., Charles O'Malley, The Irish Dragoon with 44 illustrations by Phiz. 2 vols. 8vo, 24s. cloth.
- Works of Charles Lever, Esq., Jack Hinton, The Guardsman. Forming Volume I. of "Our Mess." with a Fine Portrait of the Author, and twenty-six illustrations on steel, and numerous woodcuts, by Phiz.
- With many illustrations on wood, Coombe Abbey, An Historical Tale of The Reign of James I [Now publishing, in Monthly Parts, price One Shilling each, with many illustrations on wood]
- The Wandering Jew. A Tale. With 104 Beautiful Illustrations, drawn by M. Valentin, and engraved on wood by the first English artists.
- The Mysteries of Paris. Illustrated with upwards of seven hundred engravings on wood.
- Paula Monti; or, The Hotel Lambert. With twenty beautiful illustrations.
- New romance by M. Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte-Cristo. With Twenty Illustrations, Drawn in Paris by M. Valentin, and engraved on wood by the most eminent English artists.
- New Universal Etymological and Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language, based upon the Dictionaries of Johnson and Walker. . . . London: James Gilbert, 49, Paternoster Row.
Less educational and artistic wares in "The Advertiser" include Purssell's Wine Biscuits, razor-strops, tooth-brushes, hair-dye, and hair-growth products. Although the advertisements generally target London readers, the tea emporium advertisement in the back pages of the initial instalment specifically addresses potential customers in Dublin.
Scanned images and text by Philip V. Allingham. [You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned them and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Bibliography
Lever, Charles. The Knight of Gwynne; A Tale of the Time of the Union. London: Chapman and Hall, serialised January 1846 through July 1847.
Created 13 July 2023