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Almanacs were an exceedingly popular genre from the early seventeenth until the late nineteenth century. Published annually, they typically included a calendar with important holidays, weather forecasts, high tide charts, and reference tables for converting money, weights, and distances. In England, the Company of Stationers alone possessed the right to publish almanacs, conferred by a royal grant issued by King James I in 1603, and by the eighteenth century had published nearly a half million copies.
Available for purchase during the last two months of the preceding year, the Company of Stationers’ London Almanack was issued as both a broadside and a book in various sizes down to as small as three inches high. This miniature Alamanck conveniently fit inside a pocket or purse, making it eminently portable. Despite the fact that these annual practical reference tools were designed to be discarded at year’s end, many were ostentatiously bound in gilt-tooled leather, hand-painted silk, and marbled endpapers, displaying their owner’s wealth and status. Special Collections’ 1787 copy of the London Almanack is beautifully bound in red, cream, and black morocco leather with gold stamping, gilt edges, vividly marbled endpapers, and a matching leather slipcase. Today, all the functions and conveniences of these printed almanacs are readily available through one’s smartphone, though the choice of cases and their decoration remain as multi-varied as ever!
