In April, 1818, they put forth their first venture on their own account.  This consisted of five hundred copies of Locke’s “Essay upon the Human Understanding.”  These were readily disposed of, and their success encouraged them to further efforts.  They proceeded very cautiously, and it was for a long time their custom, when contemplating the publication of a book, and especially in the case of a reprint, to send to the leading booksellers in the large cities of the Union, and ascertain how many copies each one would take.  Thus they pushed their way forward, seizing upon every favorable opportunity for the publication of original and foreign works.  They rarely made an unsuccessful venture, and as each worked hard, and had constantly in view, above all other subjects, the success of the house, they gradually extended their business until they secured the foremost place among the publishers of the United States.

Beginning with works of a dry, philosophic nature, the Harpers have extended their operations into every department of literature.  Their catalogue of publications, issued in 1869, lies on the writer’s table.  It is a duodecimo volume of two hundred and ninety-six closely-printed pages, and embraces a list of several thousand volumes.  In this list are histories, biographies, travels, adventures, novels, poems, educational works, works on science, art, philosophy, metaphysics—­in short, books on every topic familiar to man.  In the department of fiction, the success of this house has been remarkable.  They have published between four and five hundred novels, in cloth and paper bindings, and the demand for their early publications of this kind is still sufficiently active to compel them to keep a stock always on hand.  When they began to issue their Library of Select Novels, they did so with a distinct purpose in view.  Novel-reading has always been a passion with Americans, but at the period referred to the best novels were published at such high prices that but few could afford to buy them.  The masses were compelled to put up with the cheap, flashy stories which were so well known some years ago as “yellow covers.”  This style of fiction, now confined to the lowest class of readers, at that time found its way into almost every house, and the popular taste was at a very low ebb.  The Harpers felt sure that by issuing the best, and only the best, English novels at a low price, they would not only meet a real want on the part of the public, but in great measure supersede the “yellow covers,” with all their pernicious influences.  The sequel proved the correctness of these views, and resulted in large profits to them.

Soon after commencing business, James and John Harper received their younger brothers, Joseph Wesley and Fletcher, into their establishment as apprentices.  These young men were taught the business thoroughly, and when they had completed their apprenticeship were admitted into the firm as partners, the former entering the firm in 1823, and the latter in 1826.  In 1825 the style of the firm was changed to Harper & Brothers, and the business was removed to 81 and 82 Cliff Street, on a portion of the site of the present establishment.  It was then the largest printing-house in New York, employing fifty workmen and ten hand presses.