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George Ayres Leavitt

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article George Ayres Leavitt, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 202512 sources
George Ayres Leavitt
BornError: Invalid birth date for calculating age
Haverhill, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedDecember 18, 1888(1888-12-18) (aged 66)
New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)Publisher, auctioneer
Years active1840s–1888
Known forFounding Leavitt & Allen; pioneering book auctions in New York City


Book auction held at Leavitt & Delissier's sales room, Broadway, New York City, 1856

George Ayres Leavitt (May 13, 1822 – December 18, 1888) was the offspring of a Massachusetts-based bookbinder who established several of New York City's pioneering publishing companies. George went on to create his own publishing enterprise, Leavitt & Allen, which ultimately succumbed during the economic turmoil triggered by the American Civil War. Later in his career, Leavitt attempted to rebuild his reputation as both a publisher and an art auctioneer by founding one of the earliest high-end auction houses before eventually withdrawing from the book trade altogether.

Born in 1822 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, George A. Leavitt was the son of Jonathan Leavitt,[1] who resided in Andover, Massachusetts. Jonathan had transitioned from apprentice bookbinder to founding an early publishing firm focused on producing religious texts associated with the Andover Theological Seminary. Shortly after George’s birth, Jonathan relocated to New York City and partnered with his brother-in-law Daniel Appleton, a former dry goods merchant from Boston. Their collaboration endured for ten years before Jonathan established the publishing company Leavitt & Trow. This firm published the comprehensive works of theologian Jonathan Edwards and rose to become one of the nation’s leading publishers through its dominance in religious literature.[2]

Jonathan’s business expansion was supported by his trusted associate George Palmer Putnam, who eventually departed for higher-paying roles elsewhere. By 1842, George A. Leavitt had completed his education at Andover's Phillips Academy and gained experience working with booksellers Robinson & Franklin before joining his father’s publishing enterprise. Following Jonathan’s death in 1851, George assumed control of the firm and operated it independently for a year until he partnered with John K. Allen, a fellow Andover alumnus.

Leavitt & Allen

The company was rebranded as Leavitt & Allen and ultimately established its location at 379 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. Previously, in 1851, it had been situated at 27 Dey Street. In 1856, acting on the advice of his father-in-law James E. Cooley, one of New York’s leading auctioneers, George initiated a trade book auction house. Despite inheriting one of New York’s earliest publishing firms, financial difficulties led Leavitt to gain greater recognition as a bookseller and auctioneer.[3]

Prior to this development, New York publishers had relied on wholesalers within an unregulated system. Frustrated by the lack of structure, Leavitt joined other publishers in founding the New York Publishers' Association to impose order on the chaotic book market. One concern raised involved itinerant booksellers who were able to sell directly to customers at prices significantly higher than those offered by established New York publishers.[4] On March 20, 1856, the Second Regular Trade Sale took place at the newly formed auction house Leavitt, Delisser & Co., which was specifically created to manage trade book auctions.

By this period George Leavitt’s publishing ventures were flourishing. His Broadway building—located near what was then called Dey Street—housed not only the new auction house on its ground floor but also John F. Trow's printing operations on upper levels.[5] The first floor contained Leavitt & Allen’s retail space along with basement storage. Having inherited a substantial inventory of educational titles from his father’s business, Leavitt and Allen continued expanding their roster of authors including Prof. John J. Owen, S.N. Sweet, Rev. Albert Barnes, Rev. John Chase Lord, Jonathan Edwards among others. The firm excelled particularly in selling special occasion publications and annuals that achieved sales reaching up to 50,000 copies annually. Their catalog also included English poetry collections, juvenile literature, as well as writing and photographic albums.

By around 1860 George Leavitt’s business prospects improved considerably; both Leavitt & Allen as publishers and booksellers and Geo. A. Leavitt & Co. relocated to more spacious quarters at 24 Walker Street. After partner Delisser retired from their auction venture he was succeeded by James M. Alden, a close associate of Leavitt’s. The following year saw another move to premises at 21 and 23 Mercer Street in Lower Manhattan where the firm would maintain operations for many years while continuing to conduct its trade book auctions.

After the Civil War

During the height of the American Civil War in 1863, numerous New York publishers faced financial ruin, including George Leavitt, whose business underwent a significant transformation. The partnership of Leavitt & Allen ceased to exist from that point onward. Geo. A. Leavitt & Co. found itself burdened with a substantial amount of commercial paper that failed to be honored in the market. Once the credit issues were settled, much of the enterprise that Leavitt and his father had established was effectively destroyed. The auction segment of the business was assumed by Leavitt’s father-in-law, Cooley, while the profitable publishing division was sold off to satisfy the creditors linked to Leavitt’s auction operations.

Following this collapse, the partners went their separate ways. George Leavitt transitioned into working as an auctioneer under James Cooley; James Alden exited the field entirely; and Allen relocated to the West Coast to start anew. The once prominent publisher George Leavitt reinvented himself as an auctioneer. By 1866, he had partnered with his brother M.B. Leavitt and Robert M. Strebeigh to establish a new auction firm named Leavitt, Strebeigh & Co. After Strebeigh’s retirement three years later, the company was renamed George A. Leavitt & Co., reflecting its principal proprietor.

Within a span of four years, Leavitt successfully regained his financial stability. Upon Allen's return from the West Coast, he collaborated again with Leavitt to launch a fresh publishing and bookselling venture titled Leavitt & Allen Bros., which operated for five years. After Allen departed to take on a leadership role at the American Bible Society, Leavitt rebranded his enterprise as the World Publishing Co. However, due to ongoing challenges in the post-war publishing sector, he eventually sold off his inventory and withdrew completely from bookselling and publishing. Instead, he dedicated himself fully to his auction business, which for many years ranked as New York City’s premier fine arts and book auction establishment. A significant portion of Leavitt’s trade involved selling books sourced from former competitors within the publishing industry.

Death

George A. Leavitt's brother, M.B. Leavitt, passed away in 1882,[6] and six years afterward, on December 18, 1888, George Leavitt himself died in New York City.[7] At the moment of his passing, he remained engaged with his auction firm, George A. Leavitt & Co. Throughout his career as an auctioneer, Leavitt handled an extensive array of artworks, rare books, and various other valuables. A partial catalog documenting sales from 1873 to 1887 has been assembled.[8] His funeral took place at the Lexington Avenue home (802 Lexington Avenue) he shared with his wife Mary Catherine (Cooley) Leavitt,[9] whom he had wed in 1848. Although the couple had seven children in total, only a son and a daughter survived him. The former publisher and auctioneer was laid to rest at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, with the eulogy delivered by Reverend E. Walpole Warren[10] from Manhattan's Church of the Holy Trinity.[11]

The Publishers' Weekly dedicated an extensive obituary to both Leavitt and his father’s contributions to publishing upon noting George Leavitt’s death. The publication remarked, "No man could ever have had a better friend than George A. Leavitt," adding that this quality may have been a key factor in why he did not achieve the success he might have otherwise deserved.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Derby, James Cephas (June 18, 1884). "Fifty Years Among Authors, Books and Publishers". G. W. Carleton & Company. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ "The Publishers Weekly". F. Leypoldt. June 18, 1888. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Google Books.
  3. ↑ Mondlin, Marvin; Meador, Roy (January 1, 2005). Book Row: An Anecdotal and Pictorial History of the Antiquarian Book Trade. Avalon Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-7867-1652-4. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ Friedman, Walter A. (November 30, 2005). Birth of a Salesman: The Transformation of Selling in America. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01833-4. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Leavitt's publishing activities were centralized at his building located at Broadway and White Streets in Lower Manhattan.
  6. ↑ "The widow of George Leavitt's brother M. B. was still alive in 1899" (PDF). Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  7. ↑ During the final years of his life, Leavitt increasingly spent time at his residence in Stratford, Connecticut.
  8. ↑ Bois, Henri Pène du (June 1887). The Pene Dv Bois Collection. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ York, American Geographical Society of New (June 18, 1902). "Bulletin of the American Geographical Society". American Geographical Society. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Google Books.
  10. ↑ "A Preacher from London, The New York Times, September 24, 1887" (PDF). Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  11. ↑ Manhattan's Church of the Holy Trinity is a modest Episcopal church situated at 316 East 88th Street.
  12. ↑ "The Publishers Weekly". F. Leypoldt. June 18, 1888. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Google Books.

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