Dublin's Trade in Books, 1550-1800: Lyell Lectures, 1986-1987

This is the first book to examine the Irish book trade as exemplified by the bookselling practices of Dublin. Previous studies have focused mainly on the English trade discussing Irish practices only as a footnote. This study focuses on Ireland, and draws on a wealth of material including daybooks, imprints, advertisements, and books themselves to build a detailed picture of the fortunes and practices of Irish bookselling. Pollard not only discusses relations with London, but looks in detail at the market at home, the structure and economic background of the Dublin trade, what books were published, and for whom. In addition, Pollard examines the significant expansion of the book trade during the 18th century, and provides the first survey of imports and exports revealing just how many books entered Ireland, and the supply of Dublin books to overseas markets.