Leadenhall Press facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
50 Leadenhall Street
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Illustration by Wm. Luker Jr. for the Leadenhall Press book "London City" (1891)
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The Leadenhall Press was a famous publishing company in London. It was started by Andrew White Tuer (1838–1900). The company began as a printing business called Field & Tuer in 1862. Andrew Tuer worked with Abraham Field (1830–1891). They printed things like registers and log books.
In 1868, they moved to 50 Leadenhall Street. Andrew Tuer invented something very useful called Stickphast Paste. This was a glue made from vegetables. It became very popular in offices and was made for many years. The money from this invention helped Tuer start his dream of publishing books.
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What Was the Leadenhall Press?
The Leadenhall Press was known for being very creative. Andrew Tuer loved all kinds of printing and bookmaking. He wanted to try new ways to make books.
How It Started Publishing
The name "Leadenhall Press" first appeared in 1872. It was in their own magazine, Paper & Printing Trades Journal. At first, they printed books for other companies. But in 1879, they published their first official book. It was Tuer's own book called Luxurious Bathing.
The next year, Tuer started something important. It was called the Printers' International Specimen Exchange. This was a yearly collection of printing examples. Printers from all over would send in their best work.
Books and Art at Leadenhall Press
During the 1880s, the Leadenhall Press became very active. They published up to 40 books each year. Some books were cheap, costing only sixpence. Others were special limited editions that cost a lot more.
Types of Books Published
The Leadenhall Press is well-known for reprinting children's books. They also brought back old storybooks called chapbooks. These often had fun illustrations by Joseph Crawhall. Andrew Tuer also published many of his own works.
But the Leadenhall Press published books on many different topics. They had something for everyone. Even their less expensive books were often designed with great care.
Famous Writers and Artists
Many well-known writers and artists worked with the Leadenhall Press. Wilfrid Meynell helped choose books to publish. He also wrote some books under the name 'John Oldcastle'. The Press published the first books by Jerome K. Jerome, who wrote Three Men in a Boat.
Other authors included Andrew Lang and W. M. Flinders Petrie, who studied ancient Egypt. Lady Florence Dixie, a feminist writer, also published with them. Even Oscar Wilde had a poem in their collection A Book of Jousts in 1888. His mother, Lady Jane Wilde, wrote for their magazine Bairns' Annual.
The Press was also great at reproducing art. Their book Songs of the North (1885) included art by famous artists. These included Burne-Jones and Whistler. Besides Joseph Crawhall, other artists like Randolph Caldecott and Punch cartoonists Phil May illustrated their books.
The End of the Press
In 1892, Abraham Field retired and then passed away. The company then became The Leadenhall Press, Ltd. They published fewer books in the 1890s. However, the books were still very high quality. They often showed Tuer's interest in old books and collecting.
The publishing part of the business stopped a few years after Andrew Tuer passed away in 1900. The company went back to just printing and stationery. It finally closed down in 1927 after Mrs. Tuer passed away. Between 1879 and 1905, the Leadenhall Press published over 400 different books.
