George H. Doran

Established in 1908 in Toronto, George H. Doran moved the book publishing company to New York shortly thereafter. The firm prospered, publishing many genres, from major literary works to “working class” novels and “how to” books. Among the notable authors published by the company were Arthur Conan Doyle, O. Henry, and Virginia Woolf. George H. Doran Co. merged with Doubleday, Page & Co. in 1927, creating Doubleday, Doran, then the largest publishing house in the English-speaking world. The Doran name disappeared in 1946 when the company became known as Doubleday & Co.

First Edition Identification

George H. Doran Co. generally placed a colophon with the initials “GHD” on the copyright page or the title of the first edition, but the company was not consistent in the practice until the early 1920s. First editions from Doubleday, Doran & Co. state “First Edition” on the copyright page.