P. F. Volland Company
Volland Company was an American publishing company based in Chicago, Illinois. It published poetry books, greeting cards, music, children's books, calendars, cookbooks, and children's occupational games, between 1908 and 1959. The press was noted for using new printing processes, including off-set printing techniques, and color illustrations.
Also recorded as Volland Company · P. F. Volland and Company · P. F. Volland & Company · Volland and Company
P. F. Volland Company
Padraic Colum (author) and Dugald Stewart Walker (illustrator) · The Six Who Were Left in a Shoe ( · Public domain
- Name
- P.
- Founded
- 1905
- Headquarters
- Chicago
- Products
- greeting card
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Documentary summary
Volland Company was an American publishing company based in Chicago, Illinois. It published poetry books, greeting cards, music, children's books, calendars, cookbooks, and children's occupational games, between 1908 and 1959. The press was noted for using new printing processes, including off-set printing techniques, and color illustrations.
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wikidata · Q23091640 · wikipedia · P. F. Volland Company
In this article
Overview
Overview
The company published the works of many significant artists and writers.
Illustration from Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees
Johnny Gruelle, author and illustrator · Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees
P. F. Volland Co. logo printed in "When a Feller Needs a Friend" (https: archive.org/details/WhenAFellerNeedsAFriend)
P. F. Volland Co. · "When a Feller Needs a Friend" (
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — P. F. Volland Company • Status — Defunct • Founded — 1908 • Founder — Paul Frederick Volland • Successor — Shaw Barton Company • Country — United States • Headquarters — Chicago, Illinois • Publications — Books, greeting cards, music, calendars, games
Founder
Founder
Paul Frederick John Volland Hughes Phelps (April 24, 1875 – May 5, 1919) was a 20th century publisher, and the founder of the P. F. Volland Company. In 1908, he would become the founder of the P. F. Volland Company, which would work to publish poetry books, greeting cards, music, children's books, calendars, cookbooks, and children's occupational games, all between 1908 and 1959. He also became a publisher during the time period following the foundation of the company. In 1917, Volland would publish the book New Adventures of Alice, made by John Rae. On May 5, 1919, Volland was shot and killed by Vera Trepagnier in a business dispute in the Volland offices.
Volland Ideal
Volland Ideal
The Volland Ideal was used to market P. F. Volland's lines of children's books. The Volland Ideal was "that books should make children happy and build character unconsciously and should contain nothing to cause fright, suggest fear, glorify mischief, excuse malice or condone cruelty."
History
History
Christmas cards were added as a product line in 1909. After 1912, the firm had offices in the Monroe Building (across the street from the Art Institute), which were designed by the well-known architect Walter Burley Griffin. Griffin also had offices in the Monroe Building and his wife, architect Marion Mahony Griffin, provided illustrations for some of P. F. Volland's greeting cards. In 1916, the firm moved to a new space in the Garland Building, 58 East Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois. In 1917, the company was incorporated in Delaware. In 1919, the firm participated in the Victory Loan drive organized by the Liberty Loan Committee for the Publishing, Printing, Advertising, and Allied Interests. Frederick J. Clampitt, who had been a silent partner and an executive member of the firm since 1916, became president of P. F. Volland after Paul Volland's death in 1919. Other officers of the company in 1919 were W. R. Anderson, vice president; H. S. Adams, secretary; Edwin J. Clampitt, assistant treasurer; James R. Offield, member of board of directors; Maurice Berkson, member of board of directors. J. P. McEvoy headed up the editorial department. The New York representative of the firm was Francis H. Evans. In 1929, the New York representative of the firm was Harry A. Moore. The P. F. Volland Company merged with the Gerlach Barlow Company in 1924 and moved some of its offices to the Gerlach Barlow Building in Joliet, Illinois. The Volland brand name continued to be used for Volland products. The Volland offices at 58 E. Washington in Chicago, Illinois were retained and sold both the Volland and Gerlach Barlow lines. After World War II, Volland produced greeting cards for the emerging African American market. By 1935, the book titles published by Volland were acquired by other publishers, including Wise Book Company and M.A. Donahue. The Shaw Barton Company, a competitor of the Gerlach Barlow Company, purchased the company in 1959 and closed down the Joliet operation. • Illustration — An example of framed poetry from the PF Volland Co., dated 1916.
Institutional history
Dated record
Institutional history
The full dated record · 2 entries
1905
P. F. Volland Company established.
1905
P. F. Volland Company is recorded from 1905.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- United States
Book series published by P.F. Volland
• Classics series • Friendship series • Golden Youth series • Good Cheer series • Happy Children series • Hug Me Toy Books • Jolly Jingle series • Jolly Kid series • Punky Dunk • Philadelphia Ledger Newspaper Books • Read Me A Story series • Sunny Book series • Volland "Fairy Children" series • Volland Inglenook series
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “P. F. Volland Company”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q23091640: P. F. Volland Company
General reference · Wikidata
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure. Volland Company may be traced in institutional catalogues.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.The American Stationer and Office Outfitter, Volume 90, page 8.
- 2.P.F. Volland Company Records.
- 3.Smith, Timothy J. Joliet's Gerlach Barklow Calendar Company. Arcadia Publishing. 61. 2009. 9780738577265.
- 4.Shank, Barry. A Token of My Affection: Greeting Cards and American Business Culture. Columbia University Press. 145–146. 2004. 0231118783.
- 5.The American Stationer, Volume 84, May 10, 1919, p. 14.
- 6.Dzwonkoski, Peter. American Literary Publishing Houses, 1900–1980: Trade and Paperback. Gale Research Company. 371. 1986. 0810317249.
- 7.Wynne, Annette. Treasure Things. New York: P.F. Volland Co, 1922, advertisement at rear of title.
- 8.Dzwonkoski, Peter. American Literary Publishing Houses 1900–1980: Trade and Paperback. Gale Research Company. 370. 1986. 0810317249.
- 9.Shank, Barry. A Token of My Affection: Greeting Cards and American Business Culture. Columbia University Press. 134. 2004. 0231118783.
- 10.Cahan, Richard. The Monroe Building: a Chicago Masterpiece Rediscovered. 76. 2014. 978-0692258965.
- 11.Cahan, Richard. The Monroe Building: a Chicago Masterpiece Rediscovered. 14, 66. 2014. 978-0692258965.
- 12.Griffin, Marion Mahony. Pedestal for Flower Basket, Plan of Basket. Eric Milton Nicholls Collection. 1912.
- 13.Griffin, Marion Mahony. Workman with Pottery. Eric Milton Nicholls Collection. 1912.
- 14.The American Stationer, Volume 79, June 10, 1916, p. 5-6.
- 15.Emporis GmbH. Garland Building.
- 16.P. F. Volland Art Publisher, Shot in Office. The American Stationer and Office Outfitter. 84. 14. 1919.
- 17.Publishers' Weekly, May 3, 1919, p. 1219.
- 18.Publishers' Weekly, June 14, 1919, p. 1637.
- 19.The Bookseller, Newsdealer and Stationer, New York: Excelsior Pub. House, Volume 52, (June 1, 1920), p. 610.
- 20.[Directory]. Publishers' Weekly. 115. 523. 1929.
- 21.Smith, Timothy J. Joliet's Gerlach Barklow Calendar Company. Arcadia Publishing. 8. 2009. 9780738577265.
- 22.Shank, Barry. A Token of My Affection: Greeting Cards and American Business Culture. Columbia University Press. 196. 2004. 0231118783.
- 23.Shank, p.145.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 4
- Cahan, Richard. The Monroe Building: a Chicago Masterpiece Rediscovered. 2014. 978-0692258965.
- Dzwonkoski, Peter. American Literary Publishing Houses 1900-1980: Trade and Paperback. Gale Research Company. 1986. 0810317249.
- Smith, Timothy J. Joliet's Gerlach Barklow Calendar Company. Arcadia Publishing. 2009. 9780738577265.
- Shank, Barry. A Token of My Affection: Greeting Cards and American Business Culture. Columbia University Press. 2004. 0231118783.
References
Citations
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General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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