W. B. Conkey Company
Chicago and Hammond, Indiana.
Walter B. Conkey founded his company in 1877. It was a bindery and
printer until it began to publish books on its own imprint in the late
1890's. The publishing plant was located in Hammond, Indiana. Conkey
mainly published reprints of fiction and classics in its numerous
publisher's series.
Conkey published two Mayne Reid titles in several different publisher's
series. Both titles are noted as “new issues” for Conkey in 1902.
1. Rifle Rangers
2. Scalp Hunters
The series that these books were part of are:
New Library Edition
This series included the Reid books beginning in 1902. The books are
red/maroon and blindstamped.
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New Oxford Series
This series was published for several years in the early 1900's.
Here are two formats noted from this series:
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1902 |
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Homewood Series
Here are pictures of the 1902 and 1904 formats of this series. Both
Reid titles appeared in this series. (I have no information about the
1903 edition)
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Representative cover of series in 1902 |
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New Cameo Series
12 mo cloth.
This series included both the Scalp Hunters and Rifle Rangers.
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1904 |
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The cover of this book is similar but not exactly the same as the
other Cameo Series' covers. I suspect it is a variant format of this
series.
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Varsity Series for Boys
This series of 12 mos. cloth bound books has been seen with five
different covers randomly placed on different titles.
Both Reid titles are part of this series.
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Calumet Series
This series differed from the other Conkey. The books are paperbacks.
The Mayne Reid titles were not part of this series until 1904.
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New Abbey Series
Both Reid titles were included in this series in 1902. By 1904 it
appears the Reid volumes were deleted from the series.
This series has been seen in several formats.
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Representative cover in 1902 |
Representative cover in 1904 |
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Five Volume Sets
In 1902 Conkey published a number of five volume boxed sets. There were
two styles: The Abbey Set was less expensive at $1.25. The Oxford Set
of five titles cost $2.00. A number of 5 volume subsets were included
with each of these formats. The Rifle Rangers was part of the
“Adventure Set” . The Scalp Hunters was no included in any set.
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Unknown Series
This book belongs to an unnamed series. I have seen several other
non-Reid titles in this format.
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