A Database of Cheap Literature, 1837-1860

Statistics

Coverage

Currently, the database contains 490 work entries (in 548 editions and 99 periodical serializations), 59 publisher entries, and 290 author entries. It references 281 libraries in which these works can be found.

Most Expansive Libraries
Most Prolific Publishers - Identified Penny Authors
Longest Running Editions
Most Adapted - Translated - Reprinted Creators
Most Remediated Periodicals

Most Expansive Libraries

  1. British Library, 654 volumes (18%).
  2. Bodleian Libraries, 516 volumes (14%).
  3. UCLA Library, 202 volumes (5%).
  4. Yale University Library, 152 volumes (4%).
  5. New York University Libraries, 72 volumes (2%).

Most Prolific Publishers

  1. Edward Lloyd, 191 editions (34%).
  2. George Peirce, 43 editions (7%).
  3. George Purkess, 38 editions (6%).
  4. Henry Lea, 31 editions (5%).
  5. Frederick Hextall, 27 editions (4%).

Most Prolific Identified Penny Authors

  1. Thomas Peckett Prest, 75 works (15%).
  2. James Malcolm Rymer, 61 works (12%).
  3. George William MacArthur Reynolds, 35 works (7%).
  4. Pierce Egan, 11 works (2%).
  5. Thomas Frost, 8 works (1%).

Longest Running Editions

  1. Gentleman Jack by James Malcolm Rymer, 205 numbers (nearly 4 years).
  2. Claude Duval by James Malcolm Rymer, 202 numbers (nearly 4 years).
  3. Paul Clifford by James Malcolm Rymer, 162 numbers (more than 3 years).
  4. Mazeppa by James Malcolm Rymer, 110 numbers (more than 2 years).
  5. Varney the Vampyre by James Malcolm Rymer, 109 numbers (more than 2 years).

Most Adapted Creators

  1. Charles Dickens, 12 works adapting 8 titles.
  2. William Harrison Ainsworth, 6 works adapting 5 titles.
  3. John Thomas Haines, 4 works adapting as many titles.
  4. Thomas James Serle, 4 works adapting as many titles.
  5. George Almar, 4 works adapting as many titles.

Most Translated Authors

  1. Eugène Sue, 23 works translating 18 titles.
  2. Alexandre Dumas, 22 works translating 19 titles.
  3. Paul de Kock, 7 works translating as many titles.
  4. Victor Hugo, 5 works translating 8 titles.
  5. Frédéric Soulié, 4 works translating 6 titles.

Most Reprinted Authors

  1. Hannah Maria Jones, 11 works reprinting 12 titles.
  2. James Fenimore Cooper, 9 works reprinting 10 titles.
  3. Joseph Holt Ingraham, 7 works reprinting 8 titles.
  4. William Gilmore Simms, 7 works reprinting as many titles.
  5. Robert Montgomery Bird, 6 works reprinting 7 titles.

Most Remediated Periodicals

  1. Reynolds's Miscellany, 30 serials re-edited.
  2. London Journal, 19 serials re-edited.
  3. Lloyd's Penny Weekly Miscellany, 7 serials re-edited.
  4. The Penny Sunday Times, 7 serials re-edited.
  5. Lloyd's Entertaining Journal, 7 serials re-edited.