Heritage Press

Heritage Press
Heritage Press books are a well-known series of beautifully produced, affordable editions of classic literature published by The Heritage Press, an imprint associated with George Macy and his companies.

The Heritage Press was founded in the mid-1930s (around 1935–1937) by George Macy, who also created the more exclusive Limited Editions Club (LEC) in 1929. The LEC produced high-end, limited-run (often 1,500 copies), signed, and illustrated books for subscribers. To make similar classics accessible to a broader audience, Macy launched the Heritage Press (along with the related Heritage Club subscription service) to create unlimited reprints of many LEC titles—or sometimes original editions—at a lower price point. These were “semi-luxe” books: well-designed, often illustrated, printed on good paper, and typically issued in protective slipcases.

Production ran from the 1930s through 1982, when the company was eventually sold (later connected to Easton Press). Thousands of titles appeared over the decades, focusing on timeless works like novels, poetry, plays, and historical texts. They are prized by book collectors for their aesthetic appeal, quality craftsmanship, and illustrations by notable artists.

Characteristics of Heritage Press Editions
Format: Hardcover, often with decorative bindings, colorful endpapers, and high-quality printing.
Illustrations: Many feature artwork by renowned illustrators (e.g., drawings, engravings, or color plates).
Slipcases: Most came in sturdy cardboard slipcases (often sand-colored or decorated).
Condition notes: Spines (backstrips) are prone to fading or “sunning” from light exposure, so well-preserved copies (especially with intact slipcases) command higher value.

The best places to find Heritage Press books online are:
eBay Books

Popular Heritage Press Books
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris
The Iliad by Homer
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (illustrated by John Austen)
The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham (with Paul Gauguin illustrations)
A Shropshire Lad by A.E. Housman
Works by Henry James, Anatole France, and many others.