THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.

PREFACE.

HERE are few phases of typography open to the charge of being neglected. An unquestionable exception occurs, however, in relation to Printers’ Marks. This subject is in many respects one of the most interesting in connection with the early printers, who, using devices at first purely as trade marks for the protection of their books against the pirate, soon began to discern their ornamental value, and, consequently, employed the best available artists to design them. Many of these examples are of the greatest bibliographical and general interest, as well as of considerable value in supplementing an important class of illustrations to the printed books, and showing the origin of several typical classes of Book-plates (Ex-Libris). The present Handbook has been written with a view to supplying a readable but accurate account of this neglected chapter in the history of art and bibliography; and it appeals with equal force to the artist or collector. Only one book on the subject, Berjeau’s “Early Dutch, German, and English Printers’ Marks,” has appeared in this country, and this, besides being out of print and expensive, is destitute of descriptive letterpress. The principle which determined the selection of the illustrations is of a threefold character: first, the importance of the printer; secondly, the artistic value or interest of the Mark itself; and thirdly, the geographical importance of the city or town in which the Mark first appeared.

Since the text of this book was printed, however, two additions have been made to the literature of its subject: Dr. Paul Kristeller’s “Die Italienischen Buchdrucker- und Verlegerzeichen, bis 1525,” a very handsome work, worthy to rank with the “Elsässische Büchermarken bis Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts” of Herr Paul Heitz and Dr. Karl A. Barack (to whom I am indebted for much valuable information as well as for nearly thirty illustrations in the chapter on German Printers’ Marks); and Mr. Alfred Pollard’s “Early Illustrated Books,” an admirable volume which, however, only deals incidentally with the Printer’s Mark as a side issue in the history of the decoration and illustration of books in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Mr. Pollard reproduces seven blocks from Dr. Kristeller’s monograph on the Devices of the Italian Printers. In reference to the statement on p. 116 of this volume that the Mark of Bade “is the earliest picture of a printing press,” Mr. Pollard refers to an unique copy of an edition of the “Danse Macabre” printed anonymously at Lyons in February, 1499, eight years earlier, which contains cuts of the shops of a printer and a bookseller.

That this volume has considerably exceeded its intended limit must be my excuse for not including, with a very few exceptions, any modern examples from the Continent. Nearly every French printer and publisher of any note indulges in the luxury of a Mark of some sort, and an interesting volume might be written concerning modern continental examples. The practice of using a Printer’s Mark is an extremely commendable one, not merely as a relic of antiquity, but from an æsthetic point of view. Nearly every tradesman of importance in this country has some sort of trade mark; but most printers agree in regarding it as a wholly unnecessary superfluity. As the few exceptions indicated in the last chapter prove that the fashion has an artistic as well as a utilitarian side, I hope that it will again become more general as time goes on.

As regards my authorities: I have freely availed myself of nearly all the works named in the “Bibliography” at the end, besides such invaluable works as Brunet’s “Manual,” Mr. Quaritch’s Catalogues, and the monographs on the various printers, Plantin, Elzevir, Aldus, and the rest. From Messrs. Dickson and Edmonds’ “Annals of Scottish Printing” I have obtained not only some useful information regarding the Printer’s Mark in Scotland, but, through the courtesy of Messrs. Macmillan and Bowes of Cambridge, the loan of several blocks from the foregoing work, as well as that of John Siberch, the first Cambridge printer. I have also to thank M. Martinus Nijhoff, of the Hague, Herr Karl W. Hiersemann, of Leipzig, Herr J. H. Ed. Heitz, Strassburg, Mr. Elliot Stock, Mr. Robert Hilton, Editor of the “British Printer,” and the Editor of the “American Bookmaker,” for the loan either of blocks or of original examples of Printers’ Marks; and Mr. C. T. Jacobi for several useful works on typography. Mr. G. P. Johnston, of Edinburgh, kindly lent me the reduced facsimile on p. 252, which arrived too late to be included in its proper place. The publishers whose Marks are included in the chapter on “Modern Examples” are also thanked for the courtesy and readiness with which they placed electros at my disposal.

The original idea of this book is due to my friend, Mr. Gleeson White, the general editor of the series in which it appears; but my thanks are especially due to Mr. G. R. Dennis for the great care with which he has gone through the whole work.

W. R.

86, Grosvenor Road, S.W., October, 1893.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Preface vii

List of Illustrations xiii

Introduction 1

Some General Aspects of the Printer’s Mark 40

The Printer’s Mark in England 52

Some French Printers’ Marks 100

Printers’ Marks of Germany and Switzerland 139

Some Dutch and Flemish Printers’ Marks 178

Printers’ Marks in Italy and Spain 209

Some Modern Examples 233

Bibliography 253

Index 255

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Liechtenstein, Petrus. Frontispiece

Bell, George, and Sons. Title-page

Andlau, G. U. Von 1

Couteau, Gillet 4

Du Pré, Galliot 5

Lecoq, Jehan 7

Petit and Kerver 9

Du Puys, Jacques 11

Pavier, T. 12

Janot, Denys 15

Faques, William 16

Steels, J. 19

Vérard, Antoine 21

Plate of thirty Marks used chiefly by the Italian Printers 25

Chaudière, Guillaume 28

Roffet, Jacques 30

Tournes, Jean de 31

Breuille, Mathurin 33

Snellaert, C. 35

Rastell, John 37

Leeu, Gerard 39, 185

Fust and Schoeffer 40

Froben, J. 43

Cratander’s Mark (attributed to Holbein) 45

Cox, T. 46

Dulssecker, Johann Reinhold 47, 153, 154

Beck, Reinhard 50, 143, 144

Goltz, Hubert 51

Lynne, Walter 52

Caxton, William 55

St. Albans Printer, The 56

De Worde, Wynkyn 58

Pynson, R. 59, 60

Notary, Julian 61

Fawkes, R. 63

Treveris, Peter 64

Scott, John 65

Copland, Robert 66, 68

Wyer, Robert 69

Hester, Andrew 70

Berthelet, Thomas 71

Byddell, John 72

Vautrollier, Thomas 74

Grafton, Richard 75

Middleton, William 76

Wolfe, John 78

Day, John 79

Arbuthnot, A. 81

Singleton, Hugh 83

Wight, John 84

Hall, Rowland 85

Bynneman, Henry 86

Woodcock, Thomas 87

Jaggard, William 88

Kingston, Felix 89

Creede, Thomas 90

Walthoe, John 91

Ware, R. 92

Scolar, John 93

Siberch, John 95

Myllar, Andro 96

Chepman, Walter 97

Davidson, Thomas 98

Charteris, H. 99

Estienne, F. 100

Rembolt, B. 102

Vostre, Simon 103

Regnault, François 104

Regnault, Pierre 105

Marchant, Guy 106

De Marnef 107

Du Pré, J. 108

Le Rouge, Pierre 109

Le Noir, Philippe 110

Kerver, Thielman 111

Pigouchet, Philippe 113

Petit, Jehan 114

Bade, J. 115

Hardouyn, Gillet 116

Tory, Geoffrey 117

De Colines, Simon 119

Estienne, Robert 120, 121

Vidoue, P. 124

Cyaneus, Louis 125

Wéchel, André 126

Wéchel, Chrestien 127

Nivelle, Sébastien 128

Merlin, Desboys and Nivelle 130

Topie, M. 131

Treschel, J. 132

Dolet, E. 133

Hughes de la Porte and A. Vincent 134

Gryphe, Sébastien 135

Colomies, Jacques 136

Morin, M. 137

Le Chandelier, Pierre 138

Thanner, Jacobi 139

Grüninger, Johann 140

Schott, Martin 141

Knoblouch, Johann 142

Köpfel, Wolfgang 145, 146

Müller, Craft (Crato Mylius) 147, 149

Biener, Matthias (Apiarius) 148

Rihel, Theodosius; Rihel, Josias (und Deren Erben) 150

Zetzner, Lazarus 151

Berger, Thiebold 151

Scher, Conrad 152

Hauth, David 152

Anshelm, Thomas 155

Kobian, Valentin 156

Hoernen, A. Ther 157

Bumgart, Herman 158

Koelhoff, Johann 160

Cæsar, Nicholas 161

Soter, J. 162

Birckmann, Arnold 163

Oglin, Erhard 164

Pfortzheim, Jacobus de 165

Henricpetri 166

Endter’s, Wilhelm Moritz, Daughter 167

Weissenburger, J. 168

Lotter, Melchior 169

Schumann, V. 170

Baumgarten, Conrad 171

Feyrabend, J. 172

Guerbin, L. 172

Stadelberger, Jacob 173

Girard, Jehan 174

Rivery, J. 174

Froschover, C. 175

Brylinger, N. 176

Le Preux, F. 177

Veldener, J. 178

Johann of Westphalia 179

Martens, Theodoric 180

Mansion, Colard 181

The Brothers of Common Life 182

Paffraej, Albertus 183

Van der Meer, Jacob Jacobzoon 186

Van der Goes, Mathias 187

Van den Dorp, R. 188

Back, Godefroy 188, 190

Cæsaris, A. 191

Hillenius, Michael 192

Bellaert, J. 193

Henrici, H. 194

Destresius, Jodocus 195

Van der Noot, Thomas 196

Grapheus, J. 197

Van den Keere, Henri 198

Waesberghe, J. 199

Hamont, Michel de 200

Velpius, Rutger 201

Hovii, J. M. 202

Plantin, C. 203, 204

Elzevir Sage, The 206

Elzevir Sphere, The 207

Janssens, Guislain 208

Fritag, A. 209

Riessinger, Sixtus 210

Besicken, J. 211

Martens, Thierry 211

Ratdolt, Erhardus 212

Scotto, Ottaviano 214

Sessa, Melchior 216

Meietos, P. and A. 217

Aldine Anchor, The First 218

Torresano, Andrea 219

Aldine Anchor, 1502–15 220

„ „ 1546–54 221

„ „ 1555–74 222

„ „ 1575–81 223

Giunta, P. 224

Giunta, L. 225

Giunta, F. de 225

Sabio, The Brothers 226

Legnano, Gian Giacomo di 227

Rizzardi, Giammaria 228

Rosembach, Juan 230

Fernandex, V. 231

Kalliergos, Zacharias 232

Legnano, J. A. de 232

Vingle, J. de, of Picardy 232

Hugunt, M. 232

Longman and Co. 233, 237

Stationers’ Company, The 233

„ „ „ 234

Rivingtons, The 235

Clarendon Press, The 238

Pickering, William 239

Pickering, Basil Montagu 239

Chiswick Press 240, 241

Chatto and Windus 243

Nutt, David 243

Cassell and Co. 243

Macmillan and Co. 243

Unwin, T. Fisher 243, 245

Lawrence and Bullen 243

Kegan Paul and Co. 243

Clark, R. and R. 244

Constable, T. and A. 246

Morris, William 247, 248

Appleton, D., and Co. 250

Cushing, J. S., and Co. 250

Harper Brothers 250

Lockwood, H., and Co. 250

Berwick and Smith 251

De Vinne, Theodore L., and Co. 251

Lippincott, J. B., Co. 251

Nijhoff, M. 251

Norton, William 252

Bell, George, and Sons 261