Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper (1829)

After a career working as the Royal Building Supervisor for King Louis XIV of France, Charles Perrault (1628-1703) devoted his time to writing and storytelling, for which he is largely remembered. Much of his inspiration came from older French and Italian folk tales, which he adapted into his own versions. In 1697, he published the book, Les Contes de Ma Mère L'Oye, which translates to Tales of My Mother, The Goose. In this book are familiar tales: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, and Puss in Boots (Commire, 1981).

Various reprints and versions of Cinderella have been done over the centuries since Perrault published his adaptation of the story. One version found in the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection was published in 1829 by H.E. Phinney & Co. The story behind H.E. Phinney starts in 1795 when Elihu Phinney became the first printer and publisher in Cooperstown, New York.

Elihu Phinney (Sr.) was born July 14, 1756, in New Milford, Connecticut. Phinney Sr. moved to Cooperstown, New York, at the suggestion of Judge William Cooper (Troy Irish Genealogy Society, n.d.). The printing process that Phinney eventually used was innovative at the time, as it utilized molds that could be used repeatedly, called stereotypes, thus saving time and allowing for more copies to be made over a shorter period (BYU Idaho, 2018). Elihu Phinney (Sr.) died in Cooperstown, New York, on July 12, 1813. His sons, Henry and Elihu Jr., kept his printing business going and printed this copy of Cinderella in 1829 (Troy Irish Genealogy Society, n.d.). The H.E. Phinney printing company burned down in 1848 (Shelley and Humphrey, 2017).

An interesting note is that the son of Judge William Cooper was the renowned author, James Fenimore Cooper, author of The Last of the Mohicans (Troy Irish Genealogy Society, n.d.). In addition, while in Cooperstown, one of Phinney's sons owned a large field, which is thought to be where Abner Doubleday first invented baseball in the mid-1800s (University Archives, n.d.).

The Phinney brothers began printing Bibles in 1822. These first copies were printed using a newer method called stereotyping (Shelley and Humphrey, 2017). There were many different types of stereotypes at the time, but the overall idea was to create a mold from some type of plaster or papier-mâché, which was made from typecast words. This method would save time since the printer could use the plaster copy over and over (Coccoli, 2008). Another popular form of printing at the time was the printing press, which is another potential option for how this copy of Cinderella was made. Printing presses had been popular since the 1400s, but they became even more so in the 19th Century. By setting metal typecast words according to what is being printed, adding ink, and pressing them together with paper, it was a simple and effective method, and in addition, images could be printed as well. The earlier part of the 1800s is when printing really became popular, and inventors were constantly finding new methods to save time and make books more affordable (Wilson, 2012).

This unique book is not only a well-known fairy tale, but a conglomerate of many different aspects of history - a French author and right-hand man to King Louis XIV's famous buildings, a printer who was the first in New York, and the owner of the field where baseball was possibly invented. This piece of history is an important addition to the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection.

The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection, part of University Libraries Special Collections at The University of Southern Mississippi, has hundreds of versions of fairy tales, including Cinderella. To view this particular version, visit the Cleanth Brooks Reading Room in McCain Library and Archives, on the third floor, Monday – Friday, from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. For remote access, view the digital version here. For questions about this item or other de Grummond materials, contact Karlie Herndon at .

This Item of the Month was written by Rachel Davis as part of her graduate practicum in Archives and Special Collections. She is a graduate student in Library and Information Sciences.

Sources:

BYU Idaho: Special Collections. (2018). Phinney Bible. https://archives.byui.edu/s/public/item/2771

Coccoli, E. (2008). Stereotype & Cliche in Museums Victoria Collections. Museums Victoria Collections. https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2637

Commire, A. (1981). Charles Perrault (1628-1703). Something About the Author; Vol 25, p. 198-205.

Shelley, S. & Humphrey, J. (30 July 2017). ANTIQUE BEAT: Phinney Bibles from Cooperstown. BlueRidgeNow. https://www.blueridgenow.com/story/lifestyle/columns/2017/07/30/antique-beat-phinney-bibles-from-cooperstown/20052435007/

Troy Irish Genealogy Society. (n.d.). Elihu Phinney. https://troyirish.org/genealogy-records/other-information/the-troy-newspaper-project/troy-newspaper-project-biographies/elihu-phinney

University Archives. (n.d.). Elihu Phinney, Jr.. Owner of Field Where Abner Doubleday Supposedly Invented Baseball, 1858 Rare Signed Check. https://www.universityarchives.com/auction-lot/elihu-phinney-jr.-owner-of-field-where-abner-do_7D143ABB6F

Wilson, K. J. (30 March 2012). From Gutenberg to Grandin: Tracing the Development of the Printing Press. One Climbs. https://oneclimbs.com/2012/03/30/from-gutenberg-to-grandin-tracing-the-development-of-the-printing-press/