Lodewijk Elzevir
Lodewijk Elzevir, originally Lodewijk or Louis Elsevier or Elzevier, was a printer, born in the city of Leuven. He was the founder of the House of Elzevir, which printed works such as "Two New Sciences", written by 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, and settled in Leiden before 1580.He produced his first book at Leiden in 1583, and the business continued until 1791 under his descendants. The printing house was instrumental in the publication of important work in science. 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, 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 libraries and online on :- Hartman de Custer,
- Jean-Félicissime Adry,
- Charles Pieters,
- W.J.C. Rammelman Elsevier,
- Auguste Joseph de Reume, ,
- Charles Pieters, ,
- Charles Pieters, ,
- Alphonse Willems, ,
- ,
- Alfons Willems,
- Enschedé, J.W. 1908. "De Elseviers en de beteekenis van hun uitgaven", and
- David W. Davies, The World of the Elseviers 1580-1712,
- S.L. Hartz, The Elseviers and their Contemporaries,
- e.a., Boekverkopers van Europa - Het 17de-eeuwse Nederlandse uitgevershuis Elzevier,
- A.M. Bosters, Enige genealogische gegevens over het West-Brabantse geslacht Elsevier
- , Stockmans, Stokmans, Elsevier Stokmans, Elzevier Stokmans
Category:1617 deaths
Category:Dutch printers
Category:Flemish printers
Category:Businesspeople from Leuven
Category:16th-century printers
Category:17th-century printers
Category:17th-century Dutch businesspeople
Category:Businesspeople from Leiden