William Lane (bookseller)
English publisher and bookseller (1746–1814)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Lane (1746 – 1814) was an English publisher and bookseller in London, best known now for his founding of the wildly successful Minerva Press.[1]
William Lane | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1746 |
| Died | 1814 (aged 67–68) |
| Occupations | Publisher, bookseller |
Career
Around 1790, Lane established the Minerva Printing Press in Cree Church Lane, Leadenhall Street, moving c. 1792 to no. 31 Leadenhall Street.[2] The Minerva Press issued works by Courtney Melmoth and others.[1] Subscribers to Lane's Circulating Library (established circa 1774)[3] included Leigh Hunt.[4][nb 1] Around 1799 John Darling and Anthony King Newman joined Lane as "Lane, Darling, Newman & Co."[2] In 1804 Lane retired and Newman took over the business.[6][7]
Trade card, Lane's Circulating Library, 1793
Trade card, Lane's Circulating Library, c. 1795
Trade card, Lane's Circulating Library, c. 1795
Trade card, Minerva Library, c. 1795
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Notes
- Competitors included circulating libraries of John Booth, Carpenter, Cawthorn, Cheesewright, Creighton, Thomas Dangerfield, Dutton, William Earle, Thomas Hookham, David Ogilvy, Parson, Tegg, and Thomas Vernor.[5]