Publications of Alexander Donaldson

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 by Alexander Donaldson

  • An universal dictionary of the English language. In Which The Terms made use of in Arts and Sciences are defined; The Words explained in their Various Senses; The Accents properly placed, to facilitate the true Pronunciation; The Parts of Speech denoted; and, The Spelling throughout reduced to an uniform and consistent standard. To which is prefixed, a grammar of the English language. Edinburgh: printed by Alexander Donaldson and John Reid. For A. Donaldson, and sold at his shops in Edinburgh and London; E. Wilson, in Dumfries; and W. Inglis, in Lanark, MDCCLXIII. [1763]. ESTC No. T132558. Grub Street ID 181463.
  • Beveridge, William. Christian resolutions: by William Beveridge, D.D. late Lord Bishop of St. Asaph. Edinburgh: printed by Alexander Donaldson, MDCCLXVII. [1767]. ESTC No. T68658. Grub Street ID 292802.
  • St. John, Henry, Viscount Bolingbroke. The miscellaneous works of the Right Honourable Henry St. John, Lord Viscount Bolingbroke. ... Edinburgh: printed by Alexander Donaldson. Sold at his shop, London; and at Edinburgh, 1773. ESTC No. N22095. Grub Street ID 11459.
  • Nettleton, Thomas. A treatise on virtue and happiness. By William Nettleton, ... Edinburgh: printed by Alexander Donaldson, 1774. ESTC No. N49697. Grub Street ID 33863.

Printed for Alexander Donaldson

  • Le Sage, Alain René. The devil upon two sticks. Translated from the Diable boiteux of M. Le Sage. To which are prefixed, Asmodeus's crutches, ... and Dialogues between two chimneys of Madrid. Adorned with cuts. Edinburgh: printed for Alexander Donaldson: and sold at his shop, (No. 48.) in St. Paul's Churchyard, London; and at Edinburgh, 1778. ESTC No. N17772. Grub Street ID 7235.
  • The polite philosopher: or, an essay on that art which makes a man happy in himself, and agreeable to others. Edinburgh: printed for Alexander Donaldson; sold at his shop, London; and at Edinburgh, 1780. ESTC No. N12398. Grub Street ID 2400.
  • La Rochefoucauld, François. Maxims and moral reflections, by the Duke de La Rochefoucault. Edinburgh: printed for Alexander Donaldson, St. Paul's Church-Yard, London, M.DCC.LXXXIII. [1783]. ESTC No. N10318. Grub Street ID 325.
  • Dodsley, Robert. The economy of human life. In two parts. Translated from an Indian manuscript, written by a Bramin. Edinburgh: printed for Alexander Donaldson. And sold at his shop, London; and at Edinburgh, 1784. ESTC No. N1231. Grub Street ID 2319.
  • The universal accountant, and complete merchant, new modelled. In two volumes. By William Gordon, ... The fifth edition, with many essential additions, alterations and improvements. To which is added, a complete book of rates, ... Edinburgh: printed for Alexander and James Donaldson, and Charles Elliot. Sold in London by C. Elliot and T. Kay and Co., 1787. ESTC No. T149249. Grub Street ID 195291.

Printed by and for, or by/for and sold by Alexander Donaldson

  • The universal accountant and complete merchant. In two volumes. By William Gordon, ... corected [sic] and revised by the author. Edinburgh: printed by A. Donaldson and J. Reid. For Alexander Donaldson; and sold at his shops in London and Edinburgh, 1765. ESTC No. T200851. Grub Street ID 232382.

Author

  • Donaldson, Alexander. A catalogue of curious and valuable books, to be disposed of by way of sale, (the lowest price being marked at [sic] each book), at the shop of Alexander Donaldson, ... Edinburgh. The sale to begin on Monday the 12th day of June 1758, ... Edinburgh: printed in the year, 1758. ESTC No. T162648. Grub Street ID 201372.
  • Donaldson, Alexander. A catalogue of curious and valuable books, to be sold by way of sale, (the lowest price being marked at [sic] each book,) at the shop of Alexander Donaldson, ... Edinburgh. The sale to begin on Thursday the 12th day of June 1760, ... [Edinburgh]: Ptinted [sic] in the year, 1760. ESTC No. T162650. Grub Street ID 201375.
  • Donaldson, Alexander. A catalogue of valuable books, in different languages and faculties, which will begin to be sold, by way of sale, at the shop of Alexander Donaldson, Edinburgh, on Wednesday the 16th June 1762, and to continue selling for three months. ... Edinburgh: printed in the year, 1762. ESTC No. T163756. Grub Street ID 202130.
  • Donaldson, Alexander. Some thoughts on the state of literary property, humbly submitted to the consideration of the public. London: printed for Alexander Donaldson; sold at his shop, near Norfolk-street, in the Strand, MDCCLXIV. [1764]. ESTC No. N23843. Grub Street ID 13202.
  • Donaldson, Alexander. A catalogue of books printed for Alexander Donaldson bookseller in Edinburgh; and sold at his shop near Norfolk-street, in the Strand, London, and at Edinburgh; also by the booksellers of Great Britain, Ireland, and America. Edinburgh: printed in the year, 1764. ESTC No. T162704. Grub Street ID 201420.
  • Donaldson, Alexander. Some thoughts on the state of literary property, humbly submitted to the consideration of the public. London: printed for Alexander Donaldson; Sold at his Shop, near Norfolk-Street, in the Strand, MDCCLXIV. [1764]. ESTC No. T49411. Grub Street ID 277236.
  • Donaldson, Alexander. A catalogue of curious and valuable books, in different languages and faculties. To be sold (by way of sale) at the shop of Alexander Donaldson, Edinburgh, and to continue every day till the end of March 1765. The lowest price, for ready money, is affixed to each article in the catalogue. ... Catalogues to be had gratis at said shop of A. Donaldson ... Edinburgh: printed in the year, 176[5]. ESTC No. T225943. Grub Street ID 247658.
  • Donaldson, Alexander. Some thoughts on the state of literary property, humbly submitted to the consideration of the public. ... [Dublin]: London: printed for Alexander Donaldson. And, Dublin: reprinted for Robert Bell, 1767. ESTC No. T216953. Grub Street ID 242207.
  • Donaldson, Alexander. Some thoughts on the state of literary property, humbly submitted to the consideration of the public. ... [Dublin]: London: printed for Alexander Donaldson. Dublin: reprinted for Robert Bell, [1767]. ESTC No. N23851. Grub Street ID 13211.
  • Donaldson, Alexander. The cases of the appellants and respondents in the cause of literary property, before the House of Lords: wherein the decree of Lord Chancellor Apsley was reversed, 26 Feb. 1774. ... With notes, observations, and references. By a gentleman of the Inner Temple. London: printed for J. Bew; W. Clarke; P. Brett; and C. Wilkin, 1774. ESTC No. T90592. Grub Street ID 310444.
  • Donaldson, Alexander. The pleadings of the counsel before the House of Lords, in the great cause concerning literary property; together with the opinions of the learned judges, on the common law copy right of authors and booksellers. To which are added, the speeches of the noble lords, Who spoke for and against reversing the Decree of the Court of Chancery. London: printed for C. Wilkin, Bookseller, No. 2, Orange Street, Red Lion Square; S. Axtell, No. 2, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street; J. Axtell, No. 2. Well Yard, Little Britain; and J. Browne, No. 4, Wardrobe Court, Doctors Commons, [1774]. ESTC No. T90593. Grub Street ID 310445.