The Seventeenth International Conference on Books, Publishing & Libraries

Abstract

In the early modern period popular prints were produced for a mass market and tell us much about the historical and cultural context at the time. Regrettably, much of this important visual material has been lost, so that frequently we have only a handful of prints from publishers who were active for decades. An exception is the publishing firm of the Altzenbachs, who were at the center of the print trade in Cologne from roughly 1609 to 1680. I have been able to locate over 600 prints that they published, and these reveal the depth and breadth of their activities. They help to bring us closer to understanding the business practices of early print publishers, men who had to be shrewd businessmen in a very competitive market. My talk will be illustrated with numerous images.