Publications of John Hoff

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 John Hoff

  • Woodhouse, James. Observations on the combination of acids, bitters, and astringents: being a refutation of some of the principles, contained in Dr. Percival's essay, on bitters and astringents. By James Woodhouse, M.D. [One line from Shakespeare]. Philadelphia: Printed by Jones, Hoff & Derrick, no. 8, North Fifth-Street, M,DCC,XCIII. [1793]. ESTC No. W21324. Grub Street ID 331080.
  • An Earnest call: occasioned by the alarming pestilential contagion. Addressed to the inhabitants of Philadelphia. [Five lines of quotations]. Philadelphia: Printed by Jones, Hoff & Derrick. No. 8, North Fifth-Street, M,DCC,XCIII. [1793]. ESTC No. W9393. Grub Street ID 358557.
  • Snowden, Richard. The American Revolution; written in the style of ancient history. In two volumes. "Honi soit qui mal y' pense." Vol. I[-II]. Philadelphia: Printed by Jones, Hoff & Derrick. M,DCC,XCIII. Entered according to act of Congress, [1793-1794]. ESTC No. W19500. Grub Street ID 329148.
  • An inaugural dissertation on the apoplexy. Submitted to the examination of the Rev. John Ewing, S.T.P. provost; the Trustees and medical professors of the University of Pennsylvania; for the degree of Doctor of Medicine; on the 19th. day of May, A.D. 1794. By John Lamb, Jun. of New-York. [Two lines from the Iliad]. Philadelphia: Printed by Jones, Hoff & Derrick, M,DCC,XCIV. [1794]. ESTC No. W17146. Grub Street ID 326668.
  • The West-Chester gazette. West-Chester [Pa.]: Jones, Hoff & Derrick, 1794. ESTC No. P5600. Grub Street ID 57414.
  • Freneau, Philip Morin. The village merchant: a poem. To which is added The country printer. [Four lines of verse]. Philadelphia: Printed by Hoff and Derrick, M,DCC,XCIV. [1794]. ESTC No. W28581. Grub Street ID 338760.
  • A New and concise history of the revolution in France; from its commencement to the execution of the Gironde Party and the death of the Duke of Orleans. Copy-right secured according to law. Philadelphia: Printed by Hoff and Derrick, M,DCC,XCIV. [1794]. ESTC No. W13826. Grub Street ID 323185.
  • Martinet, J. F. The catechism of nature; for the use of children. By Doctor Martinet, professor of philosophy at Zutphen. Translated from the Dutch. Philadelphia: Printed by Hoff & Derrick, 1794. ESTC No. W42392. Grub Street ID 352130.
  • Juvenile extracts in prose and verse, for the improvement of youth. Vol. I. Philadelphia: Printed by Jones, Hoff & Derrick, M,DCC,XCIV. [1794]. ESTC No. W39086. Grub Street ID 349848.
  • The Complete family book-keeper, or House-keeper's assistant: for the year 1794. Being an easy, concise and regular method of keeping an exact account of the various articles made use of in a family throughout the year: every page divided into seven columns, for entering the expences for each day of the week, and properly ruled for writing upon; being an improvement hitherto much wanted: with room for appointments, memorandums and engagements at the bottom. Philadelphia: Printed by Jones, Hoff & Derrick, for John Curtis, M,DCC,XCIV. [1794]. ESTC No. W38792. Grub Street ID 349602.
  • Morse, Jedidiah. The life of Gen. Washington, commander in chief of the American Army during the late war, and present president of the United States. Also, of the brave General Montgomery. Embellished with cuts. Philadelphia: Printed by Jones, Hoff & Derrick, no. 8, North Fifth-Street, M,DCC,XCIV. [1794]. ESTC No. W24351. Grub Street ID 334313.
  • Helmuth, Justus Henry Christian. A short account of the yellow fever in Philadelphia, for the reflecting Christian. By J. Henry C. Helmuth, Minister of the Lutheran congregation. Translated from the German by Charles Erdmann. Copy right secured according to law. Philadelphia: Printed by Jones, Hoff & Derrick, no. 8, North Fifth-Street, M,DCC,XCIV. [1794]. ESTC No. W3468. Grub Street ID 345325.
  • Theobald, John. Every man his own physician. Being a complete collection of efficacious and approved remedies, for every disease incident to the human body. With plain instructions for their common use. By John Theobald, M.D. author of the Medulla medicine. Compiled at the command of His Royal Highness of the Duke of Cumberland. Philadelphia: Printed by Jones, Hoff, & Derrick, no. 8, North Fifth-Street, M,DCC,XCIV. [1794]. ESTC No. W33469. Grub Street ID 344057.
  • Salzmann, Christian Gotthilf. Elements of morality, for the use of children; with an introductory address to parents. Translated from the German of the Rev. C.G. Salzmann. Illustrated with twenty copper-plates. In two volumes. Vol. I[-II]. Philadelphia: Printed by J. Hoff & H. Kammerer, Jun, M,DCC,XCVI. [1796]. ESTC No. W31858. Grub Street ID 342300.
  • Lee, Henry. A funeral oration, on the death of General Washington. Delivered in Philadelphia, at the request of Congress. By Major General Henry Lee, member of Congress from Virginia. Ornamented with an elegant engraving. Philadelphia: Printed by John Hoff, Cherry-Street, and sold by the principal booksellers in this and the neighbouring states, 1800. ESTC No. W9926. Grub Street ID 359121.