Published to accompany an exhibition at the Grolier Club, December 6, 2017, to February 3, 2018 using collection material from the American Antiquarian Society.

The McLoughlin brothers, John Jr. (1827-1905) and Edmund (1833/4-1889), were New York publishers who operated from 1858 to 1920. They produced books and games for children for over fifty years. As one of the first publishers to focus exclusively on products for children, McLoughlin Brothers was able to shape and define the American picture book market.

The exhibition catalog documents the working practice of the firm by associating its products with the tools used during the production process. The objects tell a story rooted in the discipline of book history, but also hint at nuances of nineteenth-century business practices, the advancement of literacy for children, and revelations about cultural norms of the era during which McLoughlin Brothers thrived.

Preface, followed by three essays with 27 illustrations: "McLoughlin Brothers' Conquest of the American Picture Book Market, 1858-1920" by Laura E. Wasowicz; "McLoughlin Brothers Archives-A Brief Account" by Justin G. Schiller; and "Cinderella Close-up: An Illustration Case Study" by Laura E. Wasowicz.

Nine catalog sections with 86 illustrations: Early History of Picture Books in America, Children's Book Publishing in New York, Early Days of McLoughlin Brothers, Illustrators at McLoughlin Brothers, Difficulties of Nineteenth-Century Humor, McLoughlin Brothers and Its Competitors, McLoughlin Brothers' Steady Sellers, The Golden Age of McLoughlin Brothers, End of an Era. Typeset in Minion & Myriad; illustrated endpapers. Printed by Puritan Capital in Hollis, New Hampshire. Edited by Lauren B. Hewes and Kayla Haveles Hopper.