American Ornithology for Home and School
Title: American Ornithology for home and school Vol. 1 to 5
Author: Chester A. Reed
Editor: Charles K. Reed
Publication Year: 1901 – 1905
Copyright: 1901 – 1905
Printer: A. M. Eddy de Albion, New York
Format: 5 ½ x 7 ½ inches
Type of cover: Dark green fabric cover, title in gold letters, different bird in color at the center of cover for each publication year.
Number of pages: variable
Retail price in 1902: 1.50$ (us)
Every year, Charles K. Reed wrote a summary of the articles of the last year in the format of a book for the readers of the magazine “American Ornithology for the Home and School.” It was a great way to offer the articles to new readers or to organizations interested in education and bird conservation. (Academic environments, scouts, biology clubs, etc.)
Charles K. Reed offered two options to subscribers of the magazine to preserve their magazines.
The subscribers mailed their magazines to Charles and he bonded them into a book. That service cost $0.75.
IThe other option was to buy a metal binder, “The A. O. Binder.” The binding, covered in fabric, allowed subscribers to assemble the 12 magazines and keep them in perfect condition for $0.60.
That type of binding was patented in February 1902.
American Ornithology for Home and School VS American Ornithology
From 1901 to 1902, the magazine was named “American Ornithology for the Home and School.” The name was changed in 1903 to become “American Ornithology,” probably to adjust to their broader clientele. It also allowed them to offer broader advertising services for enterprises in the magazine.
However, when Charles published the summary of the 1903 articles in a book, he kept the name “American Ornithology for the Home and School.” The books were mostly free of advertising and were aimed for schools or ornithology enthusiasts who had missed previous issues.