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The interface between authors and their readers is a fascinating subject in its own right, revealing a great deal about social attitudes, technological progress, aesthetic values, fashionable interests, political positions, economic constraints and individual personalities. This part of the Cambridge Library Collection reissues classic studies in the area of printing and publishing history that shed light on developments in typography and book design, printing and binding, the rise and fall of publishing houses and periodicals and the roles of authors and illustrators. It documents the ebb and flow of the book trade supplying a wide range of customers with products from almanacs to novels, bibles to erotica, and poetry to statistics.

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179 results in Cambridge Library Collection - History of Printing, Publishing and Libraries

Page 4 of 9

Typographia

Cambridge University Press, 1696–1712
  • A Bibliographical Study
  • Volume 2
  • Donald Francis McKenzie
  • Published online:
    05 March 2014
    Print publication:
    22 April 2010
    First published in:
    1966
  • Donald Francis McKenzie (1931–1999) was one of the foremost bibliographers of the twentieth century, and his contributions to the history of the book continue to exert great influence on the field. Early in his career, he made a detailed study of the archives of Cambridge University Press, focusing on the period 1696–1712. In the course of his research, McKenzie discovered quite different working practices and patterns from what had previously been assumed, and this two-volume book, published in 1966, revolutionized the study of printing history. The discoveries described here were the foundation of much of McKenzie's subsequent work as he applied his findings from this specific case study to the world of early modern printing in general. The second volume consists of transcriptions of the minutes of the Press' governing Curators (now referred to as the Syndics), the Press' accounts, bills and receipts.

Exhibition and Market of Machinery, Implements and Material Used by Printers, Stationers, Papermakers and Kindred Trades
  • Official Catalogue of Exhibits
  • Lucien Wolf
  • Published online:
    05 March 2014
    Print publication:
    21 March 2013
    First published in:
    1880
  • First published in 1880, this is a complete catalogue of the traders and products that featured in an exhibition at London's Agricultural Hall, 5–17 July 1880. The focus of the exhibition was printing, stationery, papermaking and related trades, and around 200 organisations participated, displaying items such as printing appliances, papermaking machinery, stationery materials, packaging, and precision instruments. The catalogue's editor, journalist Lucien Wolf (1857–1930), prefaces it with an informative overview of trade exhibitions, examining their history and future, and their role in bringing together producers, retailers, buyers, wholesalers and importers to assess competition, compare products and evaluate the state and progress of their trades. The main body of the catalogue contains information on exhibitors and their products, and a range of authentic advertisements. Providing a revealing snapshot of industrial England, this work remains of interest to historians and scholars interested in Victorian trade.

A History of Booksellers
  • The Old and the New
  • Henry Curwen
  • Published online:
    05 March 2014
    Print publication:
    28 October 2010
    First published in:
    1874
  • Henry Curwen (1845–1892) was a journalist and author who became editor of the Times of India. First published in 1874, A History of Booksellers aimed at providing an informative but entertaining picture of British bookselling and publishing, by means of 'biographies' of the major publishing houses and their output. He begins with a general survey of publishing and bookselling from Roman times to the nineteenth century, including a discussion of copyright legislation. It is clear that by 1800 the demand for books was considerable and growing: Alexander Donaldson, who specialised in cheap reprints of popular works, though repeatedly sued over copyright by other publishers, died in 1794 a very rich man. Many of the firms Curwen discusses are still well-known names, such as Longmans, Chambers, Butterworths and W. H. Smith. He concludes with anecdotes on some of the better known representatives of the provincial book trade.

Catalogue of the Fifteenth-Century Printed Books in the University Library, Cambridge
  • Part 1
  • John Claud Trewinard Oates
  • Published online:
    05 March 2014
    Print publication:
    18 February 2010
    First published in:
    1954
  • J. C. T. Oates began work at Cambridge University Library in 1936. During his long, scholarly career, which included serving as president of the Bibliographical Societies of London and Cambridge, he did much to further research at the University Library. In 1954 he published this catalogue of the fifteenth-century printed books, which were not included in the main library catalogues. The catalogue lists over 4250 items, with detailed information for those not already described in other publications, and gives references to such information where it already existed. The fifteenth-century material is listed by place of publication, and is indexed by author, title if anonymous, printer, and former owners and autographs. Although modern catalogues of incunabula are now available online, Oates' catalogue is the only one allowing readers to locate items held by the Library from the earliest days of printing, and is still an important tool for researchers.

Catalogue of the Valuable Library of the Late Rev. Henry Richards Luard
  • Published online:
    05 March 2014
    Print publication:
    22 August 2013
    First published in:
    1891
  • The academic, university administrator and clergyman Henry Richards Luard (1825–91) graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1847. He became a fellow and lecturer for several years before his ordination. From 1860 to 1887 he served as vicar of Great St Mary's, and from 1862 until his death he acted as registrary of the university, an increasingly important role during a period of rapid expansion. In addition to these duties, Luard made significant contributions to scholarship. As well as writing for the Dictionary of National Biography and editing the work of the classicist Richard Porson, he prepared for the Rolls Series a number of volumes of important medieval texts (which are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection). Following his death, the sale of his considerable private library in 1891 took four days, comprising 1,366 lots. This catalogue reveals the sheer breadth of interests for which Victorian scholars of his ilk were noted.

Cambridge University Press, 1696–1712
  • A Bibliographical Study
  • Volume 1
  • Donald Francis McKenzie
  • Published online:
    05 March 2014
    Print publication:
    15 February 2010
    First published in:
    1966
  • Donald Francis McKenzie (1931–1999) was one of the foremost bibliographers of the twentieth century, and his contributions to the history of the book continue to exert great influence on the field. Early in his career, he made a detailed study of the archives of Cambridge University Press, focusing on the period 1696–1712. In the course of his research, McKenzie discovered quite different working practices and patterns from what had previously been assumed, and this two-volume book, published in 1966, revolutionized the study of printing history. Volume 1 outlines the Press' operation during this period: how it was organized, what buildings it built and occupied, who worked for it, what the state of its finances were and how it went about publishing and printing its own books as well as printing for others. Appendices list the books printed between 1696 and 1712 and the type and ornaments used.

Bibliotheca Spenceriana
  • A Descriptive Catalogue of the Books Printed in the Fifteenth Century and of Many Valuable First Editions in the Library of George John Earl Spencer
  • Volume 2
  • Thomas Frognall Dibdin
  • Published online:
    05 October 2013
    Print publication:
    28 June 2012
    First published in:
    1814
  • At his death, George Spencer (1758–1834) had created the greatest private library in Europe. At the time, many aristocrats were spending huge sums acquiring rare printed books. With monastic and aristocratic libraries in Europe being dissolved, collectors had access to thousands of examples. The Second Earl Spencer's interests were in English 'black-letter' printing, especially the works of Caxton, and continental incunables, particularly first editions of Greek and Latin classics. Thomas Dibdin (1776–1847) was employed as Spencer's librarian and visited Europe searching for new acquisitions. Published in 1814–15, this catalogue is of the earliest and rarest items in the collection. Each is described in detail, with reproductions of woodcuts and engravings, making this a fascinating record of one man's commitment to collecting the earliest examples of this revolutionary invention. Volume 2 covers the many first editions of Greek and Latin classics, predominantly from Italy, including examples by Valdarfer.

The Cambridge Songs
  • A Goliard's Songbook of the Eleventh Century
  • Karl Breul
  • Published online:
    05 September 2013
    Print publication:
    20 July 2009
    First published in:
    1915
  • The Cambridge Songs are preserved - many of them uniquely - in a famous eleventh-century manuscript held in Cambridge University Library. Composed in Germany, mostly in Latin but with some vernacular sections, these lyrics are most notable for the variety they display in both genre and form. As one of the earliest examples of medieval secular song-writing they are a key part of the canon of European literature. This 1915 edition was the first to reproduce the complete text with facing-page transcriptions. Karl Breul, originally from Berlin, became the first university lecturer in German in 1884, and remained the most eminent Germanist at Cambridge until his death in 1932. His edition continues to be of value to medievalists today both as a source for the study of these remarkable poems and as a record of Breul's achievement in scholarship and palaeography.

Typographia, or The Printers' Instructor
  • Including an Account of the Origin of Printing, with Biographical Notices of the Printers of England, from Caxton to the Close of the Sixteenth Century
  • Volume 1
  • John Johnson
  • Published online:
    05 July 2013
    Print publication:
    17 May 2012
    First published in:
    1824
  • John Johnson (1777–1848) worked for a private press at Lee Priory, Kent, which published limited editions of poetry, prose and pamphlets, but was not financially successful. Moving to London in 1824, Johnson produced this two-volume work on printing, which had become a popular topic in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. As with Hansard's Typographia of 1825 (also available in this series), his knowledge of the history of printing is largely derived from secondary works, particularly those of Dibdin. The work was published in several formats, and contemporary reviewers noted Johnson's highly ornate typography and use of engravings more than the contents. Volume 1, in which Johnson was assisted by Richard Thomson, Librarian of the London Institution, covers the history of printing. It lists printers working in England up to the end of the sixteenth century, with bibliographical details of titles known to have been published by them.

George Smith, a Memoir
  • With Some Pages of Autobiography
  • Sidney Lee, George Smith, Leslie Stephen
  • Published online:
    05 June 2013
    Print publication:
    10 May 2012
    First published in:
    1902
  • This 1902 book, originally intended for private circulation, is a memoir of George Smith (1824–1901), founder, proprietor and publisher of The Cornhill Magazine and later the Dictionary of National Biography. The small volume, compiled by Smith's wife, consists of a memoir of Smith by Sidney Lee, followed by four short autobiographical pieces that Smith wrote for The Cornhill. He recalls his years at the publishing house of Smith, Elder and Co.; his encounters with Charlotte Brontë, who stayed with the Smiths in London; his idea of founding a magazine; and the 'lawful pleasures' of court cases for libel. The final item is Sir Leslie Stephen's obituary of Smith, first published in The Cornhill. The book, illustrated with two portraits of Smith, and a photograph of his memorial tablet in St Paul's Cathedral, provides an engaging portrait of a significant Victorian publisher and man of letters.

Bibliotheca Spenceriana
  • A Descriptive Catalogue of the Books Printed in the Fifteenth Century and of Many Valuable First Editions in the Library of George John Earl Spencer
  • Volume 1
  • Thomas Frognall Dibdin
  • Published online:
    05 May 2013
    Print publication:
    28 June 2012
    First published in:
    1814
  • At his death, George Spencer (1758–1834) had created the greatest private library in Europe. At the time, many aristocrats were spending huge sums acquiring rare printed books. With monastic and aristocratic libraries in Europe being dissolved, collectors had access to thousands of examples. The Second Earl Spencer's interests were in English 'black-letter' printing, especially the works of Caxton, and continental incunables, particularly first editions of Greek and Latin classics. Thomas Dibdin (1776–1847) was employed as Spencer's librarian and visited Europe searching for new acquisitions. Published in 1814–15, this catalogue is of the earliest and rarest items in the collection. Each is described in detail, with reproductions of woodcuts and engravings, making this a fascinating record of one man's commitment to collecting the earliest examples of this revolutionary invention. Volume 1 covers the collection's oldest items, including a Gutenberg Bible and work by the great Nicholas Jenson.

Typographia, or The Printers' Instructor
  • Including an Account of the Origin of Printing, with Biographical Notices of the Printers of England, from Caxton to the Close of the Sixteenth Century
  • Volume 2
  • John Johnson
  • Published online:
    05 May 2013
    Print publication:
    17 May 2012
    First published in:
    1824
  • John Johnson (1777–1848) worked for a private press at Lee Priory, Kent, which published limited editions of poetry, prose and pamphlets, but was not financially successful. Moving to London in 1824, Johnson produced this two-volume work on printing, which had become a popular topic in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The work was published in several formats, and contemporary reviewers noted Johnson's highly ornate typography and use of engravings more than the contents. Volume 2 is useful to modern students of printing, as it deals with the practical aspects of the print trade. It includes numerous specimens of type in different alphabets, and explanations of type casting and imposition. It also describes how to manage a print shop, as well as the different kinds of press, including recent inventions such as the Stanhope, Columbian and Albion, and ends with a brief account of steam presses and stereotype.

Bibliotheca Spenceriana
  • A Descriptive Catalogue of the Books Printed in the Fifteenth Century and of Many Valuable First Editions in the Library of George John Earl Spencer
  • Volume 3
  • Thomas Frognall Dibdin
  • Published online:
    05 May 2013
    Print publication:
    28 June 2012
    First published in:
    1814
  • At his death, George Spencer (1758–1834) had created the greatest private library in Europe. At the time, many aristocrats were spending huge sums acquiring rare printed books. With monastic and aristocratic libraries in Europe being dissolved, collectors had access to thousands of examples. The Second Earl Spencer's interests were in English 'black-letter' printing, especially the works of Caxton, and continental incunables, particularly first editions of Greek and Latin classics. Thomas Dibdin (1776–1847) was employed as Spencer's librarian and visited Europe searching for new acquisitions. Published in 1814–15, this catalogue is of the earliest and rarest items in the collection. Each is described in detail, with reproductions of woodcuts and engravings, making this a fascinating record of one man's commitment to collecting the earliest examples of this revolutionary invention. Volume 3 continues to catalogue the classics, along with early editions of Aquinas, St Augustine and Thomas à Kempis.

A Catalogue of the Manuscripts Preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge
  • Volume 6
  • Edited by H. R. Luard
  • Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    08 December 2011
    First published in:
    1867
  • Cambridge University Library houses a vast and internationally important collection of manuscripts, from early medieval illustrated bibles to personal papers and administrative records of the university. These volumes, first published between 1856 and 1867, contain the first published catalogue of the manuscripts held by the University Library. Edited by Henry Richards Luard (1825–91), Registrary of the University, these volumes provide detailed descriptions of the manuscript collection of the University Library as it was in the mid-nineteenth century. Information on the appearance, condition, age and provenance of the manuscripts is provided, together with accounts of their contents, to provide a practical and highly detailed guide to this fascinating collection. Volume 6 contains the index to the catalogue, arranged alphabetically according to author or main subject of a manuscript.

A Catalogue of the Manuscripts Preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge
  • Volume 5
  • Edited by H. R. Luard
  • Published online:
    05 November 2012
    Print publication:
    08 December 2011
    First published in:
    1867
  • Cambridge University Library houses a vast and internationally important collection of manuscripts, from early medieval illustrated bibles to personal papers and administrative records of the university. These volumes, first published between 1856 and 1867, contain the first published catalogue of the manuscripts held by the University Library. Edited by Henry Richards Luard (1825–91), Registrary of the University, these volumes provide detailed descriptions of the manuscript collection of the University Library as it was in the mid-nineteenth century. Information on the appearance, condition, age and provenance of the manuscripts is provided, together with accounts of their contents, to provide a practical and highly detailed guide to this fascinating collection. Volume 5 contains a catalogue of the Baumgartner Papers and a catalogue of the Baker Manuscripts held in the Library, with descriptions of manuscripts without a shelf-mark dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Progress in Printing and the Graphic Arts During the Victorian Era
  • John Southward
  • Published online:
    05 October 2012
    Print publication:
    02 November 2010
    First published in:
    1897
  • First published in 1897, this is one of many books written by the technical journalist John Southward (1840–1902), one of the most prolific writers on printing in the nineteenth century. As the title indicates, Southward is primarily concerned with the development and progress of printing. Here he takes a thoroughly practical approach, surveying the different methods of printing and considering the improvements made in printing advertisements, books and newspapers, as well as to the different stages of the printing process itself. Southward's prose is clear and precise, and his style changes seamlessly from a narrative account of printing history to more instructional descriptions of printing methods. The book contains numerous illustrations and diagrams, and the pages are all lavishly decorated. This is a beautiful book, a thoroughly comprehensive account of the history and processes of printing from one of the leading nineteenth-century authorities on the subject.

Imprimeurs parisiens, libraires, fondeurs de caractères et correcteurs d'imprimerie, depuis l'introduction de l'imprimerie a Paris (1470) jusqu'a la fin du XVIe siècle
  • Leurs adresses, marques, enseignes, dates d'exercice. Notes sur leurs familles, leurs alliances et leur descendance, d'après les renseignements bibliographiques et des documents inédits
  • Philippe Renouard
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    10 November 2011
    First published in:
    1898
  • Philippe Renouard (1862–1934) published this biographical directory of members of the Parisian book trade from the introduction of printing in 1470 until the sixteenth century in 1898. It replaced the only other existing catalogue, by Augustin-Martin Lottin, published more than a century earlier. Renouard corrected many of the errors in Lottin's catalogue and filled in gaps in information, extending his directory to include names and addresses of booksellers and printers, and the dates during which they were active, and family genealogies. The book also includes a map of the university quarter and city of Paris marked with the locations of former publishing houses. It remained the authoritative source on the topic until the 1960s, when the Bibliothèque Nationale published a newly revised and enlarged version.

The Cambridge Modern History
  • An Account of its Origin, Authorship and Production
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    15 December 2011
    First published in:
    1907
  • At the time of its conception in 1896, the Cambridge Modern History was envisaged as a 'great English universal history'. Six years later, the first volume was published, and reprinted within a month. The project would take years to complete, and just before the publication of the tenth volume in 1907, this short work was published by Cambridge University Press in order to promote the volumes and the project's history. The book opens with the origin of the project and the early plans of Lord Acton, its first editor. Also included are ten extracts from various volumes, along with the names of the first contributors, who delivered their chapters from as far afield as America, Germany, and Italy. Later chapters offer a short history of Cambridge University Press, an account of the production techniques used, and the terms by which the books (and their specially designed bookstand) could be obtained.

Étude sur le libraire Parisien du XIIIe au XVe siècle
  • D'après les documents publiés dans le cartulaire de l'Université de Paris
  • Paul Delalain
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    16 February 2012
    First published in:
    1891
  • The French bookseller, publisher and printer Paul Delalain (1840–1924) was the author of several studies on the history of the book and of the printing press, including L'imprimerie et la librairie à Paris de 1789 à 1813 (1899) and Les libraires et imprimeurs de l'Académie française de 1634 à 1793 (1907). First published in 1891, this book contains the French translation of Volumes 1 and 2 of the Latin Chartularium Universitatis Parisiensis. These records of statutes and regulations, originating from the University of Paris between 1200–86 and 1286–1350 respectively, detail the conditions under which booksellers and stationers were allowed to practise their trade, and give intriguing glimpses of the people involved, including Englishmen and Scots. Delalain's introduction to these documents studies the status of Parisian booksellers in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, shedding light on such points as the difference between a libraire and a stationnaire.

Page 4 of 9