The Mighty Engine: The Printing Press and its Impact

Citation

Malcolm Watson, W. (2001), "The Mighty Engine: The Printing Press and its Impact", Library Review, Vol. 50 No. 3, pp. 146-159. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.2001.50.3.146.12

This is the fourth in the series of papers given at the annual Seminars on the British Book Trade, Print Networks, Images & Texts; The Reach of Print; and The Human Face of the Book Trade, having already appeared. Contributors to this volume include lecturers, curators, librarians, booksellers and researchers from a wide variety of backgrounds and they cover many aspects of the book trade of Wales, England and Scotland. Such contributions continue to add to the growing body of knowledge on the history of the provincial book trade and clearly illustrate the continued need for research into book trade history to enrich the cultural history of the whole of the UK.

This 17th seminar on the history of the British book trade was held in Aberystwyth in July 1999 and it is not surprising to find that five of the 18 papers relate to the Welsh book trade. Collectively the papers range over the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries and provide much additional information on many aspects of the provincial book trade including commercial activities of printers, booksellers and publishers, distribution methods, material produced: books, pamphlets, broadsheets, newspapers, etc., national and local trade links, political involvement, printers as editors or authors and the effects of censorship. Although much material already exists on chapmen and pedlars, new research as recorded in contributions by Richard Suggett and Maureen Bell expands knowledge in this area. Similar comments can be made in relation to printing activity in small towns, the work of family firms, newspaper publishing, advertising and controversy surrounding the introduction of printing into York.

As stated in John Turner’s paper, there has been less work done on nineteenth century publishing than on the earlier periods. He therefore makes a useful contribution on sources available, indicating their potentialities and shortcomings in relation to providing additional information on nineteenth century provincial publishing.

Overall, this work does, as its title suggests, make a valuable contribution to the study of the printing press and its impact and, whilst it may appear, at first sight, to be aimed at the printing historian, it is a work which will also prove valuable to local historians and to those concerned with aspects of political, economic, social and cultural history. Physically the book is well produced, it has been composed by the editors Peter Isaac and Barry McKay and it has eight black and white illustrations, eight tables and a map. There is a comprehensive, accurate alphabetical index. Eighteen contributions for £25 appears to be a good investment.