Lodewijk Elzevir
File:Observationvm medicarvm Nicolaes Tulp 1641.JPG's book called Observacionum Medicarum, published by Ludovicum Elzevirium, 1641]]
Lodewijk Elzevir (c. 1540 – 4 February 1617), originally Lodewijk or Louis Elsevier or Elzevier, was a printer, born in the city of Leuven (today in Belgium, then part of the Habsburg Netherlands or Spanish Netherlands). He was the founder of the House of Elzevir, which printed works such as "Two New Sciences", written by Galileo,{{cite book|author=John Michael Lewis|title=Galileo in France: French Reactions to the Theories and Trial of Galileo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W7ZKc_okFDkC&pg=PA59|year=2006|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=978-0-8204-5768-0|page=59}} 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.{{cite book|author=John J. Regazzi|title=Scholarly Communications: A History from Content as King to Content as Kingmaker|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Clu3BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA52|date=12 February 2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-0-8108-9088-6|page=52}}
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 (before 1575), 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 (1604–1670).{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/ADB:Elsevier|title = Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, Bd. 6|chapter = Elsevier|series = Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie|year = 1877|page = 62|publisher = Duncker & Humblot}}{{cite book|author=Brian Clegg|title=A Brief History of Infinity: The Quest to Think the Unthinkable|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QqfABAAAQBAJ&q=A+Brief+History+of+Infinity+elzevir+galileo&pg=PT51|date=22 July 2016|publisher=Little, Brown|isbn= 9781472107640}}{{cite book|author=Michael Sharratt|title=Galileo: Decisive Innovator|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rB0rHzrpJOMC&q=elzevir+galileo+1636&pg=PA185|date=22 July 2016|publisher=CUP|isbn= 9780521566711}}
References
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External links
- [https://gw.geneanet.org/elseviervg?lang=en&n=elsevier&oc=0&p=louis+i&type=fiche Pedigree of the Elsevier/Elzevier family, ±1500-present]
- [http://gw.geneanet.org/index.php3?b=lexkusters&lang=en;p=louis;n=elsevier;oc=1 Genealogy at geneanet.org]
Literature
Literature in archives and libraries and online on [https://archive.org/ archive.org]:
- Hartman de Custer, [https://archive.org/details/17500000HartmanDeCusterElsevier15501763346p/mode/2up?view=theater Handschriftenverzameling Rotterdam 13, Collectie 33-01] (Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 1760, 346p)
- Jean-Félicissime Adry, [https://archive.org/details/noticesurlesimp00adrygoog/page/n4/mode/2up?view=theater Notice sur les imprimeurs de la famille des Elzévirs] (Delance, Paris, 1806, 60p)
- Charles Pieters, [https://archive.org/details/PietersCharles.1843.GenealogieDeLaFamilleElsevierAnnexDeAnalyse/page/n15/mode/2up?view=theater Genealogie de la famille Elsevier, Annex de: Analyse des matériaux les plus utiles, pour des futures annales de l’imprimerie des Elsevier] (C. Annoot-Braeckman, Gand, 1843, 76p)
- W.J.C. Rammelman Elsevier, [https://archive.org/details/uitkomstenvanee00elsegoog/page/n6/mode/2up?view=theater Uitkomsten van een onderzoek omtrent de Elseviers, meer bepaaldelijk met opzigt tot derzelver genealogie] (N. van der Monde, Utrecht, 1845, 100p)
- Auguste Joseph de Reume, [https://archive.org/details/rechercheshistor00reum/page/n9/mode/2up?view=theater Recherches historiques, généalogiques et bibliographiques sur les Elsevier], (Ad. Wahlen et compagnie, Bruxelles, 1847, 124p)
- Charles Pieters, [https://archive.org/details/annalesdelimpri01pietgoog/page/n8/mode/2up?view=theater Annales de l'Imprimerie Elsevirienne et histoire de la famille des Elsevier et de ses editions], (C. Annoot-Braeckman, Gand, 1851, 468p)
- Charles Pieters, [https://archive.org/details/annalesdelimpri00pietgoog/page/n8/mode/2up?view=theater Annales de l'Imprimerie des Elsevier ou histoire de leur famille et de leurs éditions. Seconde édition, revue et augmentée], (C. Annoot-Braeckman, Gand, 1858, 575p)
- Alphonse Willems, [https://archive.org/details/leselzevierhist00willgoog/page/n13/mode/2up?view=theater Les Elzevier histoire et annales typographiques], (G.A. van Trigt, Bruxelles, Adolphe Labitte, Paris, Martinus Nijhoff, La Haye, 1880, 865p)
- [https://www.stichtingpieterhaverkornvanrijsewijk.nl/Phvr.html Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk], [https://archive.org/details/oudholland08docugoog/page/n13/mode/2up?view=theater ‘‘Bijdrage tot de Geschiedenis der Elseviers’‘] (Oud Holland, Jg. XIV, 1896, 33p)
- Alfons Willems, [https://archive.org/download/19080100-alfons-willems-lodewijk-elseviers-geboortejaar/19080100_Alfons_Willems_Lodewijk_Elseviers_geboortejaar.pdf ‘‘Lodewijk Elzevier's geboortejaar’‘] (Tijdschrift voor boek- en bibliotheekwezen, Jg. VI, 1908, 3p)
- Enschedé, J.W. 1908. "De Elseviers en de beteekenis van hun uitgaven" (Elsevier’s Geïllustreerd Maandschrift, Jg. XVIII), [https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_els001190801_01/_els001190801_01_0093.php part 1] and [https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_els001190801_01/_els001190801_01_0103.php part 2]
Literature in libraries and for sale online:
- David W. Davies, The World of the Elseviers 1580-1712, (Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, 1954, 168p)
- S.L. Hartz, The Elseviers and their Contemporaries, (Elsevier, Amsterdam-Brussels, 1955, 107p)
- [https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/staffmembers/paul-hoftijzer Paul Hoftijzer] e.a. (red.), Boekverkopers van Europa - Het 17de-eeuwse Nederlandse uitgevershuis Elzevier, (Walburg pers, Zutphen, 2000, 352p)
Literature in libraries:
- A.M. Bosters, Enige genealogische gegevens over het West-Brabantse geslacht Elsevier (A.M. Bosters. Voorburg, 2000, 5p)
- [https://nl.linkedin.com/in/christophtenhoutedelange C.E.G. ten Houte de Lange], Stockmans, Stokmans, Elsevier Stokmans, Elzevier Stokmans (Megen) (NIGHO, Zeist, 2006, 48p)
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Category:Businesspeople from Leuven
Category:16th-century printers
Category:17th-century printers