Alfred Cecil Rowlandson
Alfred Cecil Rowlandson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Daylesford, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | June 15, 1922 (aged 57) |
| Occupation(s) | Bookseller, publisher |
| Known for | NSW Bookstall Company, Bookstall series |
Alfred Cecil Rowlandson (15 June 1865 – 15 June 1922), commonly referred to as A. C. Rowlandson, was a prominent Australian bookseller and publisher.
Early life
Rowlandson was born in Daylesford, Victoria as the second surviving son of Arthur Hodgson Rowlandson, a gold miner originally from India, and Susan Sophia (née Black), who hailed from Scotland. His education began at Northcote State School and continued at the Superior Normal School in Brisbane. In 1877, he started his working life as a shop assistant. The following year, after relocating to Sydney, he secured a position as an office boy for Henry Waddington at Macquarie Place.
Career
At the age of 17 in 1883, Rowlandson entered the NSW Bookstall Company workforce selling tram tickets, eventually moving up to roles such as cashier and manager. Upon the death of owner Henry Lloyd in 1897, Rowlandson acquired the company and introduced the Bookstall series, offering Australian literature at a price of one shilling per book. Although there was initial doubt about the viability of inexpensive Australian titles, he was confident in their success given the nation’s population was under four million.
In 1898, he married Alma Jenkins in Sydney.
By 1904, the NSW Bookstall Company paid £500 for Steele Rudd's Sandy's Selection, marking the highest advance ever given for an Australian book at that time; sales needed to reach approximately twenty thousand copies to cover this investment. Rowlandson devoted substantial resources to author payments and contracted renowned illustrators such as Norman Lindsay, Lionel Lindsay, Percy Lindsay, Ruby Lindsay, David Low, Percy Spence, and Will Dyson. His publishing catalog featured writers including Arthur Adams, John Barry, Louis Becke, Randolph Bedford, Edwin Brady, George Cockerill, Edward Dyson, Beatrice Grimshaw, Sumner Locke, Vance Palmer, Ambrose Pratt, Thomas Spencer, and Alfred Stephens. Additionally, postcards showcased artwork by Neville Henry Cayley. It is also possible that Rowlandson authored the 1909 novel The Rival Physicians under the pen name 'Paul Cupid'.
During the period of World War I, rising expenses forced an increase in book prices to one shilling and threepence; however, this was soon reversed back to one shilling to remain competitive in the market.
Late life and legacy
Rowlandson dedicated himself relentlessly to managing a publishing enterprise characterized by slim profit margins. By 1922 his health had deteriorated significantly. That April, seeking medical treatment abroad, he traveled with his family to North America but was too unwell to leave the ship upon arrival in San Francisco. On his return voyage, he underwent appendicitis surgery in Wellington, New Zealand. Although initially showing signs of recovery, complications related to diabetes led to his passing on 15 June 1922 at age 57.
He was interred at Gore Hill Cemetery in Sydney and survived by his wife, a son, a daughter, and an adopted daughter.
Throughout more than twenty years, Rowlandson oversaw the publication of roughly five million copies representing around seventy authors and over thirty illustrators, earning a reputation for ethical business conduct unparalleled by his peers.
See also
References
- Carol Mills, 'Rowlandson, Alfred Cecil (1865 - 1922)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11, MUP, 1988, p. 470. Accessed 20 November 2009