Nicholas Hill (printer) facts for kids

Nicholas Hill was a printer who lived in the 16th century. He came from a region known as the Low Countries (which today includes parts of Belgium and the Netherlands). Hill moved to England in 1519. In 1544, he officially became a legal resident there.

Nicholas Hill: A Printer in 16th-Century England

Nicholas Hill began his printing career in England. In 1546, he printed his first book that showed his name. Between 1546 and 1553, he printed 23 books in total. Most of these books were printed for other people or publishers. He didn't seem to sell books directly to customers from his shop. This might be why his printing house didn't have a public sign. Nicholas Hill passed away around 1553.

Printing Important Medical Books

One of the most important books Nicholas Hill printed was in 1553. It was called Compendiosa totius anatomie delineatio, aere exarata by Thomas Gemini. This book was special because it was one of the first in England to use copperplate engravings. These engravings are detailed pictures made by carving designs into copper plates.

The book contained 40 detailed pictures of the human body. Thirty-eight of these pictures were copies from a famous book by Vesalius. His book was called De humani corporis fabrica (published in 1543). The other two pictures came from Vesalius's Epitome. The text in Hill's printed book was similar to another anatomy book. This other book was Anatomie of the bodie of man by Thomas Vicary (1548).

Working with Other Scholars

Nicholas Hill's printed book also included something unique. It had the only English translation of the descriptions for the drawings from Vesalius's Fabrica. This translation and the way the text was put together was the work of a well-known writer. His name was Nicholas Udall, who was a dramatist.