Overview

Influenced by Enlightenment principles and commercial transformations, the history of the book in the eighteenth century witnessed not only the final decades of the hand-press era but also developments and practices that pointed to its future: ’the foundations of modern copyright; a rapid growth in the publication, circulation, and reading of periodicals; the promotion of niche marketing; alterations to distribution networks; and the emergence of the publisher as a central figure in the book trade, to name a few.’ The pace and extent of these changes varied greatly within the different sociopolitical contexts across the western world. The volume’s twenty-four articles, many of which proffer broader theoretical implications beyond their specific focus, highlight the era’s range of developments. Complementing these articles, the introductory essay provides an overview of the eighteenth-century book and milestones in its history during this period while simultaneously identifying potential directions for new scholarship.

Full Product Details

Author:   Eleanor F. Shevlin ,  Professor Alexis Weedon
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Edition:   New edition
Weight:   1.408kg
ISBN:  

9780754627685

ISBN 10:   0754627683
Pages:   590
Publication Date:   28 March 2010
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction; Part I The Physical Book, or Matters Material: Continental paper wrappers and publishers' bindings in the 18th century, Giles Barber; Notes on 18th-century British paper, Philip Gaskell; The rococo 18th century, John Harthan; Quotation marks, national compositorial habits and false imprints, C.J. Mitchell; The memorandum book of James Coghlan: the stock of an 18th-century printer and binder, Howard M. Nixon. Part II Matters Authorial: French women in print, 1750-1800: an essay in historical bibliography, Carla Hesse; Printing for the author: from the Bowyer printing ledgers, 1710-1775, Keith Maslen; Rewriting the role of the writer: on the 18th century as the age of the author, John A. McCarthy. Part III Trade Matters: Practices and Practitioners: The Stationers' Company in the 18th century, Cyprian Blagden; The publishers and the pirates: British copyright law in theory and practice, 1710-1775, John Feather; Patronage across frontiers: subscription publishing in French in Enlightenment Europe, Wallace Kirsop; The antiquarian trade in Britain 1695-1830: the use of auction and booksellers' catalogues, Richard Landon; The history of the book and publishing in 18th-century Italy, Renato Pasta; Investing in books: the supremacy of the booksellers, James Raven; London trade publishers, 1675-1750, Michael Treadwell. Part IV Periodicals and Newpapers, or Matters Serial: The periodical press in 18th-century English and French society: a cross-cultural approach, Stephen Botein, Jack R. Censer and Harriet Ritvo; Constructing the frameworks of desire: how newspapers sold books in the 17th and 18th centuries, Christine Ferdinand; Review journals and the reading public, Antonia Forster; Locating the serial: some ideas about the position of the serial in relation to the 18th-century print culture, Michael Harris. Part V Reading and Related Matters: Practices of reading: part 1. Literacy and schoolbooks, Ross W. Beales and E. Jennifer Monaghan; Pr

Reviews

'It is a good selection...Given its scope, the essay's [introduction] coherence and development are remarkable...' The Scriblerian

Author Information

Eleanor F. Shevlin, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, USA Giles Barber, John Harthan, C.J. Mitchell, Howard M. Nixon, Carla Hesse, Keith Maslen, John A. McCarthy, Cyprian Blagden, John Feather, Wallace Kirsop, Richard Landon, Renato Pasta, James Raven, Michael Treadwell, Stephen Botein, Jack R. Censer, Harriet Ritvo, Christine Ferdinand, Antonia Forster, Michael Harris, Ross W. Beales, E. Jennifer Monaghan, James N. Green, Joost Kloek, Wijnand Mijnhardt, Thomas D. Walker, Michael Warner, Reinhard Wittmann.

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