Tools of the Trade
from Part II - The Craft of a Publisher
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 June 2026
The topic under consideration is Curll’s deployment of imprints, among the most important tools of his trade. He found it acceptable on many occasions to follow the conventional forms, along the lines of ‘London: printed for E. Curll, at the Dial and Bible against St. Dunstan’s Church in Fleet-street.’ However, there are many exceptions. This chapter discusses variant forms described by David Foxon. It itemises some cases where the imprint is incomplete or unreliable. They include, for example, works which have the same text but different names on the title-page; those in which Curll’s name appears and disappears in succeeding editions); and instances where a trade publisher such as James Roberts is found in the imprint on certain occasions, but is absent in others. Ways are described to identify Curll’s hand when his name is omitted. Along with comparatively innocent subterfuges, we find elsewhere what can be described as ‘false and misleading imprints’, a subject pioneered by Michael Treadwell.
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