Lodewijk Elzevir, originally Lodewijk or Louis Elsevier or Elzevier, was a printer, born in the city ofLeuven. He was the founder of the House of Elzevir, which printed, for example, "Two New Sciences", a work of Galileo, at a time when his work was suppressed for religious reasons. Although the House of Elzevir ceased publishing in 1712, the modern Dutch Elsevier company was founded in 1880 and took its name from the historic Dutch publishing house.
Biography
Elzevir, son of Hans Helschevier, was born in Leuven and started his career as a bookbinder at the printing shop of Christoffel Plantijn in Antwerp. In 1563 he married Maijke de Verdeijen Verbois in Antwerp, where his first two sons were born. He moved to Wesel before 1570, to Douai before 1575 and settled in Leiden before 1580. He produced his first book at Leiden in 1583 and under his descendants the business continued until 1791. The printing house was instrumental in the publication of important work inscience. Atypical of other printers of the era, Elzevir books focused on sturdiness rather than elegance and legibility over ornate characters. His books were usually smaller with narrow margins. Christopher van Dyck was one of the type designers. Most of the work was published in Latin. His oldest son Matthijs and his sixth son Bonaventure Elzevir and his grandsons Abraham and Isaac Elzevir continued and expanded the business. The Lodowijk Elzevir who famously met Galileo in Arcetri in 1636 was the grandson of this Lodwijk.
Literature
Literature in archives and in libraries and online on Internet Archive.Org:
Hartman de Custer, Handschriftenverzameling Rotterdam 13, Collectie 33-01 at Internet Archive.Org
J.F. Adry, Notice sur les imprimeurs de la famille des Elzévirs at Internet Archive.Org
Charles Pieters, Genealogie de la famille Elsevier, Annex de: Analyse des matériaux les plus utiles, pour des futures annales de l’imprimerie des Elsevier at Internet Archive.Org
W.J.C. Rammelman Elsevier, Uitkomsten van een onderzoek omtrent de Elseviers, meer bepaaldelijk met opzigt tot derzelver genealogie at Internet Archive.Org
A. de Reume, Recherches historiques, généalogiques et bibliographiques sur les Elsevier, at Internet Archive.Org
Charles Pieters, Annales de l'Imprimerie Elsevirienne et histoire de la famille des Elsevier et de ses editions, at Internet Archive.Org
Charles Pieters, Annales de l'Imprimerie des Elsevier ou histoire de leur famille et de leurs éditions. Seconde édition, revue et augmentée, at Internet Archive.Org
Alphonse Willems, Les Elzevier histoire et annales typographiques, at Internet Archive.Org
P. Haverkorn van Rijsewijk, ‘‘Bijdrage tot de Geschiedenis der Elseviers’‘ at Internet Archive.Org
