Spalding's Athletic Library

Spalding's Athletic Library were a series of sports and exercise books published through "American Sports Publishing Company" from 1892 to 1941. Both brands were owned and founded by American sporting goods manufacturer Spalding. Books covered over 30 different sports and exercises, and over 20 different organizations.

History

Growth of Spalding Athletic Library

created the Spalding in 1876. Spalding has sold sports equipment from late 1876 to present. "Spalding Athletic Library" sold sports and exercise books through the American Sports Publishing Company from 1892 to 1941. Both companies were owned and founded by Spalding. Spalding created the Spalding Athletic Library in 1892. and founded the American Sports Publishing Company, incorporated in New Jersey in 1892. American Sports Publishing Company used a New York address from 1892 to 1941.
James Edward Sullivan was President of the American Sports Publishing Company from 1892 to 1914 which published the Spalding Athletic Library. John Doyle was another key executive for the publishing company from 1892 to 1941.
Spalding Co purchased Wright & Ditson Co in 1892 and AJ Reach Co. in 1889. For several years after the purchases, Wright & Ditson Co and AJ Reach Co continued to publish sports books separately from the Spalding Athletic Library name. Professional baseball player George Wright co-founded Wright & Ditson Co; and professional baseball player Al Reach founded AJ Reach Co. The Spalding Baseball Guides were published under AG Spalding & Bros until 1893–1894, and starting in 1894–1895 by American Sports Publishing Company.
1941, the American Sports Publishing Company was sold to A.S. Barnes & Co. The books now sold under A.S. Barnes & Co. name. In 1941 A.S. Barnes & Co. took over publishing the NCAA sports rules and record books from Spalding.

Mail order catalogue

Spalding produced mail order catalogues that provided a description, price and picture of their sports equipment, sports books, and exercise books. A couple of examples are How to Play Golf for 25 cents, How to Play Basketball at 10 cents, and How to Train for Bicycling at 10 cents.

Organizations

Sports and exercise books were produced by Spalding Athletic Library for numerous organizations.
Some of the organizations included: Amateur Athletic Union, Association Football, Athletic League of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North American, Inter-Collegiate Association of Amateur Gymnasts of America, Inter-Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States, National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Indoor Baseball Association of the United States, National Roque Association of America, Olympic Games, Public Schools Athletic League, Pacific Association of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, Pacific Northwest Association of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, Public School Athletic Association of Jersey City, Public School Athletic Association of Newark, Texas Inter-Collegiate Athletic Association, United States Inter-Collegiate Lacrosse Association, and Young Men's Christian Associations of North American.
May 1896 the Official Rowing Guide was issued. Frederick R Fortmeyer compiled the 86-page guide. It also includes laws governing the association.
By 1898 the following leagues had already formed: The Amateur Hockey League of New York, The Amateur Hockey Association of Canada, and The Ontario Hockey Association. The 1898 Spalding Athletic Library book includes rules and results for each league.
July 1908, Spalding issued the official athletic rules of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States.
In 1918 Spalding issued a book, Army and Navy Camp YMCA Physical Work to support athletic activities. In 1919 Official Athletic Almanac of the American Expeditionary Forces 1919 A.E.F. Championships Inter-Allied Games was issued.

First 37 books

The following are books published between 1892 and April 1896. Numbers 2, 3, and 4 were "issued monthly" under the Volume and Number. "Issue monthly" was later dropped from the cover. The first eighteen books were issued in between 1892 and 1894. Books nineteen to thirty six were issued between 1894 and May 1895.

Number	Name of Book	Ref
01	"Life and Battles of James J. Corbett", Volume 1, Number 1, issued in 1892. The book includes stories of Corbett's past opponents. The first book was published under: Spalding's Athletic Library, American Sports Publishing Company, New York. The editor of the first book was Richard K Fox, and Corbett is referred to as the California Wonder.
02	"Indian Clubs and Dumb Bells", Volume 1, Number 2, issued November 1892, editor was J H Dougherty
03	"Bowling" Volume 1, Number 3, issued December 1892, editor was A E Vogell
04	"Boxing: a complete manual of the art of self-defense" Volume 1, Number 4, issued January 1893. Includes how to, rules, and illustrations
05	Gymnastics by Robert Stoll
06	Lawn Tennis by OS Campbell
07	Base Ball by Walter Camp
08	Golf by Stuart Balfour
09	Athletes' Guide
10	Croquet
11	Official Foot Ball Guide and Referee's Book by Walter Camp
12	Gaelic and Association Football
13	Hand Ball
14	Curling, Hockey and Polo
15	Indoor Base Ball Guide
16	Skating
17	Basket Ball
18	Fencing
19	Spalding Official Baseball Guide for 1894
20	Cricket Guide
21	Rowing
22	Croquet
23	Canoeing
24	Official Football Guide for 1894
25	Swimming
26	How to Play Football
27	College Athletics
28	Athletic Almanac
29	Exercising with Pulley Weights
30	How to Play Lacrosse
31	Spalding Official Baseball Guide for 1895
32A	Practical Ball Playing
33	Lawn Tennis Guide for 1895
34	Official Rowing Guide for 1895
35	Intercollegiate AAAA Guide
36	Official Golf Guide for 1895
37	All Around athletics

Numerous books were published until 1941.

Sports and exercise

Spalding Athletic Library covered a variety of sports and exercises. Advertisement inside Spalding includes lists of available books which include Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Bicycling, Bowling, Boxing, Canoeing, Cricket, Croquet, Curling, Fencing, Football, Golf, Gymnast, Handball, Hockey, Jujutsu, Lacrosse, Lawn Sports, Polo, Pushball, Quoits, Racquetball, Rowing, Rugby, Skating, Soccer, Squash, Swimming, Tennis, Tumbling, Volleyball, and Wrestling. Bodybuilding books included Dumb Bell, Indian club, Medicine Ball, and Pulley Weights.
In the self defense series, Jiu Jitsui with poses by A Minami and K Koyama.

Sports

Baseball

Spalding Baseball Guide was available 1870s to 1941. The Baseball Guide was published by A. G. Spalding & Bros. 1870s to 1893, and Spalding Athletic Library from 1894 until 1941.
Henry Chadwick, through the Spalding Athletic Library collection, added the "Technical Terms of Base Ball" in 1897.
Johnny Evers baseball hall of fame athlete added "How to Play Second Base" to the collection of the Spalding Athletic Library. Published by American Sports Publishing Company in New York, and the price on the cover was 10 cents. Copyright 1917. Topics include "Thinking Out Plays in Advance", "Advise Against Blocking", and "Important Foot-Work." The book also includes pictures and diagrams to assist with learning baseball.
In 1917 Billy Evans "noted American League Umpire" teamed up with the Spalding Athletic Library for the book, "How to umpire".
In 1922 a Spalding baseball uniform and a Spalding book "How to Pitch" was available for $6.75 from Spalding in Newark. In 1906 the book alone sold for ten cents
Ty Cobb wrote "Strategy in the Outfield."
1919 American Sports Publishing printed a thirty-two-page magazine on baseball that included the "choosin' up" illustration by Leslie Thrasher.

Basketball

Spalding worked with Dr. James Naismith to develop the official basketball and rule book in the 1893–1894. Spalding published guides on Basketball from the 1893–1894 to 1940–1941. The guides were also used by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Amateur Athletic Union

Boxing

1902 William Elmer and Spalding issued "Boxing". The New York Times, stated that the work provided a comprehensive look at pugilist, and prize ring history.
1913 and 1917 Spalding issued, "Boxing: a guide to the Manly Art of Self Defense. “ Includes the Science of Boxing, sparing partners, rules, hints, and many illustrations.
1914 "How to Punch a Bag" by Young Corbett was issued. Includes sample workouts, instructions, and illustrations.
1932 "A.A.U. Boxing: Official Rules, Amateur Athletic Union of the United States: Olympic Rules ” was issued.