Saalfield Publishing Company publications

Finding Aid

Prepared by Mary Blosser and Carlyn Bassham, October 1994; Prepared for the Web by Cara Gilgenbach, 1998 and Colleen Moyer, 2001; Last Updated: September 2020

Inclusive Dates: 1899-1976
Extent: 175 cubic feet (171 record storage boxes + oversize)
Physical Location: 11th floor

Scope and Content: This inventory is limited to a group of cloth books, picture puzzles, paper dolls, and a variety of activity books. (There is a separate inventory for original artwork from the collection.) The cloth items include children's books, banners, and promotional materials. Among the activity books are coloring books, follow-the-dot books, pasting and sticker books, wet-a-brush, rub-a-pencil, and stencil books, and sewing cards. Of special interest are a number of Shirley Temple items including authorized editions of paper dolls (including one 32" tall), coloring books, sewing cards, and other activity books.

Arrangement: Materials are arranged first by type of publication (muslin books, coloring books, paper dolls, etc.), and then by publisher's number without regard to date of publication. The categories themselves were suggested by the Saalfield Company's own publisher's catalogs and by the order in which the collection was received.

Acquisition Information: The library and archives of the Saalfield Publishing Company of Akron, Ohio, were purchased by Kent State University in April, 1977. The Saalfield Company published children's books and other products from 1899 to 1977 and was, at one time, one of the largest publishers of children's materials in the world.

Please see our page of Frequently Asked Questions about the Saalfield Collection for more information on this collection.

Series