Lodewijk Elzevir
Encyclopedia
Lodewijk Elzevir originally Lodewijk or Louis Elsevier or Elzevier, was a significant Dutch printer. He was the founder of the House of Elzevir
, which printed, for example, the work of Galileo, at a time when his work was suppressed for religious reasons.
of Christoffel Plantijn in Antwerp. In 1563 he married Maijke de Verdeijen Verbois in Antwerp, where his first two sons were born. He moved to Wesel
before 1570, to Douai
before 1575 and settled in Leiden before 1580.
He produced his first book at Leiden in 1583 and under his descendants the business continued until 1791. The printing house was instrumental in the publication of important work in science
. Atypical of other printers of the era, Elzevir books focused on sturdiness rather than elegance and legibility over ornate characters. His books were usually smaller with narrow margins. Christopher van Dyck was one of the type designers. Most of the work was published in Latin.
His son Bonaventure Elzevir and grandson Abraham Elzevir
continued and expanded the business.
House of Elzevir
Elzevir is the name of a celebrated family of Dutch booksellers, publishers, and printers of the 17th and early 18th centuries. The duodecimo series of "Elzevirs" became very famous and very desirable among bibliophiles, who sought to obtain the tallest and freshest copies of these tiny...
, which printed, for example, the work of Galileo, at a time when his work was suppressed for religious reasons.
Biography
Elzevir, son of Hans Helschevier, started his career as a bookbinder at the printing shopPlantin Press
The Plantin Press at Antwerp was one of the focal centers of the fine printed book in the 16th century.Christophe Plantin of Touraine, trained as a bookbinder, fled from Paris, where at least one printer had recently been burned at the stake for heresy, for Antwerp, where he bound books, became a...
of Christoffel Plantijn in Antwerp. In 1563 he married Maijke de Verdeijen Verbois in Antwerp, where his first two sons were born. He moved to Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
before 1570, to Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
before 1575 and settled in Leiden before 1580.
He produced his first book at Leiden in 1583 and under his descendants the business continued until 1791. The printing house was instrumental in the publication of important work in science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
. Atypical of other printers of the era, Elzevir books focused on sturdiness rather than elegance and legibility over ornate characters. His books were usually smaller with narrow margins. Christopher van Dyck was one of the type designers. Most of the work was published in Latin.
His son Bonaventure Elzevir and grandson Abraham Elzevir
Abraham Elzevir
Abraham Elzevir was a Dutch printer. He inherited the House of Elzevir from his grandfather Louis Elzevir and his uncle Bonaventure Elzevir. In its best years it was reputedly the greatest publishing business in the world, with filials in numerous European cities.-External links:...
continued and expanded the business.