Publications of Robert Gibson

Note: The following printer, bookseller, or publisher lists are works in progress. They are generated from title page imprints and may reproduce false and misleading attributions or contain errors.

What does "printed by" mean? How to read the roles ascribed to people in the imprints.

In terms of the book trades, the lists below are sorted into up to four groups where: the person is designated in the imprint as having a single role:

  1. "printed by x"; or
  2. "sold by x"; or
  3. "printed for x" or "published by x"; or

as having multiple roles in combination (which suggests a likelihood that the person is a trade publisher):

  1. "printed and sold by x"; "printed for and sold by x"; or "printed by and for x" and so on.

Printers (owners of the type and printing presses, and possibly owners of the copyright) may be identified by the words printed by, but printed by does not universally designate a person who is a printer by trade. Booksellers may be identified by the words sold by, but sold by encompasses a number of roles. Booksellers or individuals who owned the copyright are generally identified by the words printed for, but nothing should be concluded in this regard without further evidence, especially since "printed for" could signify that the named person was a distributor rather than a copyright holder. Trade publishers, who distributed books and pamphlets but did not own the copyright or employ a printer—and were not printers themselves—might be identified by the words printed and sold by. Furthermore, works from this period often display false imprints, whether to evade copyright restrictions, to conceal the name of the copyright holders, or to dupe unwitting customers. Ultimately, one must proceed with caution in using the following lists: designations in the imprints may not reliably reflect the actual trades or roles of the people named, and the formulas used in imprints do not consistently mean the same thing.

David Foxon discussed the "meaning of the imprint" in his Lyell Lecture delivered at Oxford in March 1976, with particular attention to "publishers" in the eighteenth-century context:

The fullest form of an imprint is one which names three people, or groups of people:
     London: printed by X (the printer), for Y (the bookseller who owned the copyright), and sold by Z.
In the eighteenth century the printer's name is rarely given, at least in works printed in London, and the form is more commonly:
     London: printed for Y, and sold by Z.
Very often in this period, and particularly for pamphlets, it is further abbreviated to:
     London: printed and sold by Z.
It is this last form which is my present concern. Z is usually what the eighteenth century called 'a publisher', or one who distributes books and pamphlets without having any other responsibility—he does not own the copyright or employ a printer, or even know the author.

D. F. McKenzie coined the term "trade publisher" for these publishers in his Sandars Lectures, also in 1976, on the grounds that their principal role was to publish on behalf of other members of the book trade (Treadwell 100).

Michael Treadwell cautions that "In this period the imprint 'London: Printed and sold by A.B.' normally means 'Printed at London, and sold by A.B.' and must not be taken to mean that A.B. is a printer in the absence of other evidence." Further, "The imprint 'published by' occurs only rarely in Wing and is almost always associated with the name of a trade publisher" (104). While there are exceptions to the rule, it is "certain," he explains, "that anyone who made a speciality of distributing works for others will show a far higher proportion than normal of imprints in one of the 'sold by' forms" (116), which appear in the imprint as "sold by," "printed and sold by," or "published by" (104). Treadwell gives Walter Kettilby as an example of "a fairly typical copyright-owning bookseller" (106)—his role is almost always designated by the phrase "printed for" on imprints.

A final caution: publisher is a word that should be used with some deliberation. Samuel Johnson defines it simply as "One who puts out a book into the world," but "published by" rarely appears on the imprint until later in the eighteenth century, and then primarily associated with newspapers and pamphlets. Treadwell observes that John Dunton names only five publishers among the 200 binders and booksellers in his autobiographical Life and Errors (1705) wherein he undertakes "to draw the Character of the most Eminent [Stationers] in the Three Kingdoms" (100). Treadwell also remarks, however, that "in law, anyone who offered a work for sale 'published' it. In this sense every work had one or more 'publishers', and every bookseller, mercury, and hawker was a 'publisher'" (114).

See:

  • Terry Belanger, "From Bookseller to Publisher: Changes in the London Book Trade, 1750–1850," in Book Selling and Book Buying. Aspects of the Nineteenth-Century British and North American Book Trade, ed. Richard G. Landon (Chicago: American Library Association, 1978).
  • Bricker, Andrew Benjamin. "Who was 'A. Moore'? The Attribution of Eighteenth-Century Publications with False and Misleading Imprints," in The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 110.2 (2016).
  • John Dunton, The Life and Errors of John Dunton (London: Printed for S. Malthus, 1705).
  • John Feather, "The Commerce of Letters: The Study of the Eighteenth-Century Book Trade," Eighteenth-Century Studies 17 (1984).
  • David Foxon, Pope and the Early Eighteenth-Century Book Trade, ed. James McLaverty (Oxford University Press, 1991).
  • Samuel Johnson, Dictionary of the English Language, (printed for J. and P. Knapton; T. and T. Longman; C. Hitch and L. Hawes; A. Millar; and R. and J. Dodsley, 1755).
  • D.F. McKenzie, The London Book Trade in the Later Seventeenth Century (Sandars lectures in bibliography, 1977).
  • Michael Treadwell, "London Trade Publishers 1675–1750," The Library sixth series, vol. 4, no. 2 (1982).

Printed for Robert Gibson

  • Drake, James. An essay concerning the necessity of equal taxes; and the dangerous consequences of the encouragement given to usury among us of late years. With Some Proposals to promote the Former, and give a Check to the Latter. By the author of The history of the last Parliament. To which is added, Some Considerations on the present posture of Affairs at Home and Abroad. And The Influence which the Death of his late Majesty may probably have thereupon. By the same hand. London: printed for Robert Gibson in Middle Row, and Tho. Hodgson, over against Grays Inn Gate in Holborn; and sold by J. Nut near Stationers Hall, 1702. ESTC No. T6645. Grub Street ID 291196.

Author

  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated, from its first principles. ... The whole illustrated with copper-plates. By Robert Gibson, ... Dublin: printed by Oliver Nelson, 1752. ESTC No. T176489. Grub Street ID 213517.
  • Gibson, Robert. A course of experimental philosophy; being an introduction to the true philosophy of Sir Isaac Newton. Containing, mechanics, hydrostatics, Pneumatics, Optics, and Astronomy. To which is added, the use of the globes, Done in an easy and familiar Manner for the Use of young Gentlemen. By Robert Gibson, Teacher of Mathematics. Dublin: printed for the author, and Oli. Nelson, at Milton's-Head in Skinner-Row, 1755. ESTC No. N28197. Grub Street ID 17425.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. ... The whole illustrated with copper-plates. The second edition. By Robert Gibson, ... Dublin: printed for William Ross, 1763. ESTC No. T176482. Grub Street ID 213510.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. Wherein Every Thing that is Useful and Curious in that Art is fully considered and explained. Particularly Four new and very concise Methods to determine the Areas of Right-Lined Figures Arithmetically, or by Calculation, as well as the Geometrical ones heretofore treated of; with two other new Geometrical Methods much more accurate and ready than any of the former, never before made public. Also The Method of Tracing Defaced Mearings from the Down (or any other) Survey. Very useful to Persons who have any Property in Land, to Lawyers in controverted Surveys, and to Practical Surveyors. The whole illustrated with copper-plates. The second edition. By Robert Gibson, teacher of the mathematics. London: printed for John Knox, near Southampton-Street, in the Strand, 1767. ESTC No. T106020. Grub Street ID 159219.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. Wherein Every Thing that is Useful and Curious in that Art is fully considered and explained. Particularly Four new and very concise Methods to determine the Areas of Right-Lined Figures Arithmetically, or by Calculation, as well as the Geometrical ones heretofore treated of; with two other new Geometrical Methods much more accurate and ready than any of the former, never before made public. Also The Method of Tracing Defaced Mearings from the Down (or any other) Survey. Very useful to Persons who have any Property in Land, to Lawyers in controverted Surveys, and to Practical Surveyors. The whole illustrated with copper-plates. The third edition. By Robert Gibson, Teacher of the Mathematics. Dublin: printed for Laurence Flin, at the Bible, in Castle-Street; and Richard Fitzsimons, at the King's-Head, in High-Street, MDCCLXVIII. [1768]. ESTC No. T176490. Grub Street ID 213519.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. ... The whole illustrated with copper-plates. The third edition. By Robert Gibson, ... Dublin: printed for Laurence Flin; and Richard Fitzsimons, [1768?]. ESTC No. N45465. Grub Street ID 30369.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. ... The whole illustrated with copper-plates. The fourth edition. By Robert Gibson, ... Dublin: printed for Richard Fitzsimons, 1777. ESTC No. N45464. Grub Street ID 30368.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying, which is demonstrated from its first principles. Wherein every thing that is useful and curious in that art, is fully considered and explained. Particularly three new and very concise methods for determining the areas of right-lined figures arithmetically, or by calculation, as well as the geometrical ones heretofore treated of. The whole illustrated with copper-plates. By Robert Gibson, teacher of the mathematics. With alterations and amendments, adapted to the use of American surveyors. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by Joseph Crukshank, in Market-Street between Second and Third-Streets, MDCCLXXXV. [1785]. ESTC No. W28360. Grub Street ID 338527.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. ... By Robert Gibson, ... Dublin: printed by R. Cross, 1790. ESTC No. T176491. Grub Street ID 213520.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. Wherein every thing that is useful and curious in that art, is fully considered and explained. Particularly three new and very concise methods for determining the areas of right-lined figures arithmetically, or by calculation, as well as the geometrical ones heretofore treated of. The whole illustrated with copper-plates. By Robert Gibson, teacher of the mathematics. With alterations and amendments, adapted to the use of American surveyors. Philadelphia: Printed by Joseph Crukshank, in Market-Street, between Second and Third-Streets, MDCCLXXXIX [i.e., 1790]. ESTC No. W28179. Grub Street ID 338329.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. Wherein every thing that is useful and curious in that art, is fully considered and explained. Particularly three new and very concise methods for determining the areas of right-lined figures arithmetically, or by calculation, as well as the geometrical ones heretofore treated of. The whole illustrated with copper-plates. By Robert Gibson; teacher of the mathematics. With alterations and amendments, adapted to the use of American surveyors. Philadelphia: Printed by Joseph Crukshank, no. 87, High-Street, 1792 [i.e., 1794]. ESTC No. W28362. Grub Street ID 338529.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. ... The whole illustrated with copper-plates. The fifth edition. By Robert Gibson, ... Dublin: printed by P. Wogan, 1795. ESTC No. N45463. Grub Street ID 30367.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. Wherein every thing that is useful and curious in that art, is fully considered and explained. Particularly three new and very concise methods for determining the areas of right-lined figures, arithmetically or by calculation, as well as the geometrical ones heretofore treated of. The whole illustrated with copper-plates. By Robert Gibson; teacher of the mathematics. With alterations and amendments, adapted to the use of American surveyors. Philadelphia: Printed for Joseph Crukshank, no. 87, High-Street, 1796. ESTC No. W28361. Grub Street ID 338528.
  • Gibson, Robert. A treatise of practical surveying; which is demonstrated from its first principles. Wherein every thing that is useful and curious in that art, is fully considered and explained. Particularly three new and very concise methods for determining the arreas [sic] of right-lined figures arithmetically, or by calculation, as well as the geometrical ones heretofore treated of. The whole illustrated with copper-plates. By Robert Gibson, teacher of the mathematics. With alterations and amendments, adapted to the use of American surveyors. New-York: Printed by William A. Davis & Co. for Gaine & Ten Eyck, T. Allen, S. Campbell, E. Duykinck [i.e., Duyckinck] & Co. N. Judah, T. & J. Swords, B. Gomez, New York; M. Carey, Philadelphia, and C.R. & G. Webster, Albany, 1798. ESTC No. W14448. Grub Street ID 323859.