Donald Francis McKenzie

Cambridge University Press, 1696-1712 : A Bibliographical Study Donald Francis McKenzie

Donald Francis McKenzie (1931-1999) was one of the foremost bibliographers of the twentieth century, and his contributions to the history of the book continue to exert great influence on the field. Early in his career, he made a detailed study of the archives of Cambridge University Press, focusing on the period 1696-1712. In the course of his research, McKenzie discovered quite different working practices and patterns from what had previously been assumed, and this two-volume book, published in 1966, revolutionized the study of printing history.

The discoveries described here were the foundation of much of McKenzie's subsequent work as he applied his findings from this specific case study to the world of early modern printing in general. The second volume consists of transcriptions of the minutes of the Press' governing Curators (now referred to as the Syndics), the Press' accounts, bills and receipts.