The American printer 1787-1825

Published for the Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia [by] the University Press of Virginia, first edition, 1967. American Printing. Decorated cloth and cloth boards, 8vo, 27 cn,. xii, 189, [1] pp, 24 plates. From the preface: "This volume describes the condition of the American printer during the years 1787 to 1825, his methods of work, the equipment he used, and the policies by which he conducted his business. He lived in a hard and critical time which demanded of him extraordinary stamina and versatility for survival; and he insisted on surviving. A practical realist, he saw the output of his printing press as a primary tool in the building of a new country. The fact that he had under his control the chief means of communication brought him pride in his craft, and he regarded his craft as a high profession. He was a formidable man; he loved his country simply and openly and believed that he was the equal of anyone. He knew the distress of the small businessman; often he did not make expenses, but he managed to bring the printing press into every part of an expanding society. This is not a history of printing in America during the period, nor does the scope include the occupation of publishing. Here is a picture of the craft of printing between the colonial period and the arrival of mechanization. After 1825 the cylinder press and the use of power radically altered printing practices..". The contents include: Preface; 1. Apprentice, journeyman, and master; 2. The printing office; 3. The practice of printing; 4. Printer and author; 5. Expansion of the press; 6. Typography and illustration; Appendix: examples of sizes and editions; Index. Very Good. Clipping of a newspaper obituary of the author by Ruari McLean laid in.