House of Elzevir
| Company type | Family business |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bookselling, printing, publishing |
| Founded | circa 1580 in Leiden, Netherlands |
| Founder | Lodewijk Elzevir (Louis) |
| Defunct | 1712 |
| Headquarters | Leiden , Netherlands |
Area served | Europe |
| Products | Books (notably duodecimo-format publications) |
Elzevir designates a distinguished Dutch lineage of booksellers, printers, and publishers active during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Their duodecimo-format publications gained significant popularity among collectors due to their compact dimensions and superior craftsmanship. Although the family engaged in the book trade since the 16th century, comprehensive documentation begins with Lodewijk Elzevir (Louis). The family's printing operations concluded in 1712; however, the contemporary publisher Elsevier, founded in 1880, adopted their name and emblem for branding purposes without direct historical connection.
Origins
The surname appeared in various forms such as Elsevier or Elzevier, with English adaptations settling on Elzevir. Originating from Leuven, Louis (circa 1546) initially specialized as a bookbinder before moving to Leiden in 1580, where he expanded into bookselling and publishing. His earliest recorded publication dates back to 1583, culminating in approximately 150 titles by his passing in 1617. Among his seven sons, five pursued the family business, notably including Bonaventura Elzevir (1583–1652).
Bonaventura commenced his publishing career in 1608 and entered into partnership with his nephew Abraham Elzevir (born 1592) in 1626. Isaac Elzevir (1596–1651), son of Matthijs, was the first family member to acquire printing presses in 1617; these assets were subsequently integrated into Bonaventura and Abraham’s joint venture. Both Abraham and Bonaventura died within a month of each other in 1652.
Subsequent developments
The editions produced by Bonaventura and Abraham stand out for their small formats—12mo, 16mo, and 24mo—characterized by refined aesthetics, precise typography, consistent typefaces, and premium paper quality. While their Greek and Hebrew publications were generally regarded as less accomplished than those from Aldine or Estienne presses, they include significant works such as the Greek New Testament editions (1624 and 1633), with the latter being particularly prized; the Psalterium Davidis (1653); Virgilii opera (1636); and Terentii comediae (1635). Their most renowned series was the Petites Républiques, a collection of French historical and political treatises in 24mo format, alongside a range of Latin, French, and Italian classics in compact 12mo editions. Notably, they published Galileo’s last work, Two New Sciences (1638), despite its ban by the Roman Inquisition.
Between 1626 and 1649, Bonaventure and Abraham issued the highly successful Respublicae series—also known as Republics or Petites Républiques—which served as early models for travel literature. This thirty-five-volume set detailed the geography, populations, economies, and histories of various territories across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Near East.
Jean, Abraham’s son (born 1622), joined his father and uncle’s Leiden operation from 1647. Following their deaths, Daniel (Bonaventura’s son, born 1626) briefly collaborated with Jean before Jean continued solo until his death in 1661. In 1654 Daniel allied with his cousin Louis (born 1604), who had initiated a press in Amsterdam since 1638.
From 1655 to 1666 they released Latin classics in octavo format featuring variorum commentary; Cicero’s works in quarto; the Etymologicon linguae Latinae; and an impressive two-volume folio edition of the Corpus Juris Civilis in 1663. Louis passed away in 1670 and Daniel in 1680. Another family member, Isaac (son of Matthieu, born 1593), operated a Leiden press until 1625 but did not achieve notable distinction. The final Elzevir printers included Peter (Joost’s grandson), active as a Utrecht bookseller between 1667 and 1675 with limited output, and Abraham (son of the first Abraham), who served as university printer at Leiden from 1681 to 1712.
Elzevir publications frequently feature only inscriptions such as Apud Elzevirios or Ex officina Elseviriana under city headings; however, most bear one of four recognized printer’s marks. Louis Elzevir commonly employed the United Provinces’ coat of arms with an eagle substituting for the lion atop a cippus clutching seven arrows alongside the motto Concordia res parvae crescunt. Circa 1620, the Leiden branch adopted the emblem known as le Solitaire, depicting an elm tree entwined with a vine beside a solitary figure accompanied by the motto Non solus (not alone). Other symbols included a palm tree bearing the motto Assurgo pressa, while Amsterdam-based Elzevirs utilized an image of Minerva with an owl, shield, olive branch, and motto Ne extra oleas. Early editions sometimes showed an angel holding a hook and scythe; various other marks appeared over time. When anonymity was preferred, a sphere was used—though this alone does not confirm Elzevir origin. Willems catalogued approximately 1608 titles from Elzevir presses; numerous counterfeit editions exist. Discoveries of new Elzevir imprints continue to emerge.
See also
- Books in the Netherlands
- Pierre Marteau, a pen name devised by Jean Elzevir to bypass the censorship of that era.
Further reading
- Notice de la collection d'auteurs latins, français, et italiens, imprimée en petit format in 12, par les Elsvier, featured in Brunet's Manuel du libraire (Paris, 1820)
- Paul Dupont, Histoire de l'imprimerie, two volumes (Paris, 1854)
- Charles Pieters, Annales de l'imprimerie des Elsevier (second edition, Ghent, 1858) Google Books
- Christoph Friedrich von Walther, Les Elzevir de la Bibliothèque impériale publique de St-Pétersbourg (St Petersburg, 1864)
- Alphonse Willems, Les Elzevier (Brussels, 1880), presenting the history of the Elzevir family, their printing workshops, typographical symbols, and fonts utilized. Considered the authoritative 19th-century source.
- Edmund Goldsmid & Alphonse Willems, A complete catalogue of all the publications of the Elzevier presses at Leyden, Amsterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, including an introduction and commentary (Privately printed, 1885). Accessible online [1]
- Ernst Kelchner, Catalogus librorum Officinae Elsevirianae: catalogue de l'Officine des Elzevier (1628) (Paris, 1880) A facsimile edition of the original 1628 Latin catalogue.
- Georg Frick, Die Elzevir'schen Republiken (Halle, 1892)
- G[ustaf] Berghman, Études sur la bibliographie Elzevirienne (Stockholm, 1885) and Nouvelles études sur la bibliographie Elzevirienne (Stockholm, 1897).
- G[ustaf] Berghman, Catalogue raisonné des impressions Elzeviriennes de la Bibliothèque Royale de Stockholm (Stockholm & Paris, 1911).
- H[arold] B[ernard] Copinger, The Elzevier Press: A handlist of productions at Leyden, Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, with references to Willems and others (London, 1927)
- Sina Rauschenbach, "Elzevirian Republics, wise merchants, and new perspectives on Spain and Portugal in the seventeenth-century Dutch Republic," published in De Zeventiende Eeuw, volume 29(1), 2013.
- Edouard Rahir, Catalogue d'une collection unique de volumes imprimés par les Elzevier et divers typographes hollandais du XVIIe siècle (Paris, 1896)
Archival and digital resources available via archive.org:
- Hartman de Custer, Handschriftenverzameling Rotterdam (Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 1760)
- Jean-Félicissime Adry, Notice sur les imprimeurs de la famille des Elzévirs (Delance, Paris, 1806)
- Charles Pieters, Genealogie de la famille Elsevier (Ghent, 1843)
- W.J.C. Rammelman Elsevier, Uitkomsten van een onderzoek omtrent de Elseviers (Utrecht, 1845)
- Auguste Joseph de Reume, Recherches historiques sur les Elsevier (Brussels, 1847)
- Charles Pieters, Annales de l'Imprimerie Elsevirienne, two editions (Ghent, 1851 & 1858)
- Alphonse Willems, Les Elzevier histoire et annales typographiques (Brussels-Paris-The Hague, 1880)
- Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk, ‘‘Bijdrage tot de Geschiedenis der Elseviers’’ (Oud Holland, 1896)
- Alfons Willems, ‘‘Lodewijk Elzevier's geboortejaar’’ (Tijdschrift voor boek- en bibliotheekwezen, 1908)
- Enschedé, J.W. "De Elseviers en de beteekenis van hun uitgaven" (Elsevier’s Geïllustreerd Maandschrift, 1908), available in two parts: part one, part two
Additional works found in libraries or for purchase online:
- David W. Davies, The World of the Elseviers 1580-1712 (Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, 1954)
- S.L. Hartz, The Elseviers and their Contemporaries (Elsevier Amsterdam-Brussels, 1955)
- Paul Hoftijzer et al., Boekverkopers van Europa - Het 17de-eeuwse Nederlandse uitgevershuis Elzevier (Walburg Pers, Zutphen, 2000)
Further genealogical sources:
- A.M. Bosters, Enige genealogische gegevens over het West-Brabantse geslacht Elsevier (Voorburg, 2000)
- C.E.G. ten Houte de Lange, Stockmans-Stokmans-Elsevier Stokmans-Elzevier Stokmans (NIGHO Zeist, 2006)