Henry Ditson was born in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1856. His father was a fisherman and his uncle was Oliver Ditson, a prominent music publisher in Boston. By 1875, Henry was living in Boston and working as a clerk. The following year, Henry became a partner in Bird & Ditson, a company listed as a "provisions" merchant (grocery/general mercantile). In 1879, Ditson left Bird & Ditson to work as a clerk for George Wright and by 1880, had become a partner in "Wright & Ditson." While future publications would list 1871 as the date of the company's founding, 1880 was the first time the name Wright & Ditson appeared in the Boston business directory.

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