Typographia, or, The Printers' Instructor, Including an Account of the Origin of Printing... [Vol. I-II]

Title: Typographia, or, The Printers' Instructor, Including an Account of the Origin of Printing... [Vol. I-II]

Author: Johnson, J. [John]

Publication: London: Published by Messrs. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green, Paternoster Row, 1824.

Description: Two-volume history of printing, with the first volume devoted to biographies of printers from England and illustrations of their devices, and the second volume with a guide to typesetting and printing, including examples of various alphabets. First edition. Added engraved title pages, text within double-rule border, and illustrations throughout. Bound in half speckled calfskin leather with marbled paper over boards, smooth spine gilt in compartments with scrolling cornerpieces around a central urn tool, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. 5 x 3.25 inches; 2 volumes. From the collection of Arthur Williams Hall (1873-1952) of Massachusetts, bibliophile and manufacturer of laboratory equipment, with his pencil note on the front free endpaper of vol. 1; thence by descent through three generations. Bindings with dry spines, front joint starting on vol. 1, occasional foxing, and chip to margin of one leaf. Very Good. This title was issued simultaneously in three formats: 12mo, 8vo (large paper), and 4to (largest paper, called "Roxburghe copies"). Full title: 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 : a series of ancient and modern alphabets, and Domesday characters : together with an elucidation of every subject connected with the art.