Sweets And a Book

Little Leather Library Corporation was founded by Albert Boni, Harry Scherman, and Max Sackheim with $5,000 startup capital. After approaching Whitman's Candy Company, the "Library Package" was created and included a small Shakespeare play book.

One Million Sold

Titles were expanded and books with embossed leather covers were sold in 30 and 60 sets in quartered oak book racks. They were also sold at Woolworth's, among other department stores, drugstores and bookstores.

In addition to Whitman's library boxes, other creative marketing was used as well. Books could be redeemed ending in X number of Florida Orange Wrappers. There is also some indication that single volumes were included as promotional items in cereal boxes as a means of advertising the collection.

World War 1

The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. With American soldiers headed overseas, a "Soldier's Kit of Books" of 5 or 10 books could be purchased to send to soldiers. The Whitman's Library package was also changed to "Service Chocolates".

At the same time, leather prices rose significantly due to the war effort and the cover material was changed to an early imitation leather consisting of latex coated canvas on the outside with flocking on the inside.

World's Greatest Masterpieces

Sets of 30 volumes with synthetic leather covers were advertised and purchasable by mail for $2.98, and sets of 100 books were priced at $9.97. Books could also be purchased individually for 10 cents. Sales reached 25 million books. 101 different titles were offered of stories, poetry, essays, speeches and plays.

Redcroft Edition

Covers were switched to the green embossed synthetic leather material, the most commonly found type today. The floral border cover also came in brown, and later red. The books were advertised in Mentor Magazine, Pictorial Review, The Youth's Companion, National Geographic as well as in other publications.

Robert K. Haas

Robert K. Haas purchases a controlling interest in Little Leather Library, Inc. and renames it to Robert K. Haas, Inc. The 30-volume sets were renamed 'Little Luxart Library'.

Sidewalks of New York

Sidewalks of New York by Bernardine Kielty was offered free to guests at Bowman Hotels. It includes illustrations and boasts everything to appreciate about visiting New York, from its history, sights, people and culture.

Other special printings from this time such include Extracts of Proceedings Grand Lodge F&A.M and Eating for Efficiency, Citrus Fruits and Health Builders, and are considered rare finds.

The Holy Bible

30-volume sets of The Holy Bible were sold in brown embossed synthetic leather "Croftcutt" covers, sometimes alongside a cedar wood chest. The brochure reads "This beautiful edition of the Old and New Testament complete, King James Version, should make a wonderful Christmas gift".

Final Printings

The final publications of Robert K. Haas Inc. include a 5" x 7" 3-volume set Cure of Self-Conciousness by James Alexander, and a 10-volume miniature series Child Health Library, as well as gift boxes containing A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens along with special greeting cards.

The End

When the market became over saturated, the company stopped publishing new volumes and 250,000 30-volume sets were sold to publishing house Funk & Wagnalls to be given free to new 1-year subscribers of Literary Digest.

Book-of-The-Month-Club

Scherman, Sackheim, and Haas founded Book-of-the-Month Club in 1926. Over 20 years, it grew from 4,000 to more than 550,000 subscribers with a reputation as a "sound selector of good books". It was later acquired by Time Inc. in 1977, and still operates today.

A 1926 advertisement reads "All the new books each month are submited for consideration by the publishers. Usually, each month, the choice narrows among from 20-30 books. A copy of each one is read by each members of the Selecting Committee. There is no discussion. Each one reads the books independently, and gives them a rating in the order in which he himself prefers them.
The book which emerges with the highest total rating becomes the "book-of-the-month".

In addition to the Book-of-The-Month-Club, this pioneering effort eventually led to the establishment Modern Library publishing company, which ultimately spawned Random House Publishers as a subsidiary company.