Johann Heinrich Meyer (publisher)
Johann Heinrich Meyer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Braunschweig, Germany |
| Died | November 4, 1863 (aged 51) |
| Occupation(s) | Publisher, bookseller |
| Known for | Founder and editor of Journal für Buchdruckerkunst; founder of Gebrüder Meyer printing firm |
Johann Heinrich Meyer (born 2 March 1812, died 4 November 1863) was a prominent German publisher and bookseller operating out of Braunschweig.
Background
Heinrich Meyer hailed from a printer lineage that had been established in Lemgo since 1610. His great-great-grandfather moved to Braunschweig in 1707 and acquired a printing establishment there in 1716. Heinrich was the firstborn child of Johann Heinrich Meyer (1768–1827) and Dorothea Elisabeth Pfeiffer.
Career and achievements
Meyer received his education at the Katharineum in Braunschweig and initially planned to pursue scientific studies. However, following his father’s premature passing, he joined the family printing enterprise. Guided by his mother, he elevated the quality of the print shop by broadening his knowledge through extensive reading and visits to various printing and machinery centers throughout Europe. In 1834, he launched and took on the editorial role of the Journal für Buchdruckerkunst, which he managed until his death. He was awarded a doctorate by the University of Jena in 1838 for his contributions to typographical science.
After disagreements with his mother regarding business operations, Meyer established a type and stereotype foundry around 1838. Together with his brother Hermann, he founded the Gebrüder Meyer book printing firm in 1841, later expanding it with an engraving department by 1843. The original family printing business was handed over to them by their mother in 1848. Although the company received the prestigious "Hofbuchdruckerei" designation in 1840, this status was revoked in 1852, likely due to their publication of materials with democratic themes.
Following Hermann’s death in 1860, Heinrich took sole responsibility for managing the firm until he passed away in 1863 after a lengthy illness.
Family and legacy
In 1843, Meyer married Luise Dangers; after her passing in 1858, he remarried Marie Nickel (née Mellin) in 1860. The business was administered by appointed guardians until their eldest son Stephan reached maturity and assumed leadership. Stephan extended the reach of the Journal für Buchdruckerkunst but eventually sold it in 1881 and withdrew from the enterprise by 1892. The printing house "Joh. Heinr. Meyer" was subsequently sold to Heinrich Kleucker from Hildesheim and has undergone several ownership changes since then.
Currently, the printing and publishing house Joh. Heinr. Meyer continues operating in Braunschweig, specializing in regional publications, brochures, trade periodicals, and the Braunschweig address directory.
Publications
At just 22 years old, Meyer founded the Journal for the Art of Printing, Type Foundry and Related Subjects, which grew into a leading publication within the printing industry. It debuted as a monthly periodical on 1 July 1834, transitioned to a bi-monthly format in 1845, and became a weekly issue starting in 1860.
Significant works under his direction included:
- Handbuch der Stereotypie (1838)
- Gutenberg's album (1840), an important typographical work published by Vieweg & Sohn
- Address Book of the Book Printers of Central Europe, Lithography, Copper and Steel Engraving Printing Houses, etc. (1854)
He also developed the Brunswick Address Book, initially created by his father in 1805, transforming it into a detailed state handbook.