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JOSEPH JOHNSON’S IMPRINTS
In his review of G. P. Tyson’s book on Joseph Johnson G. E. Bentley noted that the publication of a list of Johnson’s imprints would be of value to Blake Scholars.
Readers may be interested in knowing that such a list has been completed by Leslie F. Chard, Professor of English at the University of Cincinnati. Professor Chard describes the list as follows. The list contains over 2800 imprints (4800 separate entries when counting multiple editions) by some 1100 authors. Many of these imprints and authors probably influenced Blake; many of course are already known to have done so. More broadly, the list will help us understand more clearly the intellectual climate in which Blake worked.
The list has also been computer analyzed, so that students of the book trade in Blake’s time can learn a good deal of firm information about the intricacies of publishing. This, too, should shed some light on Blake, notably in his dealings with publishers as an engraver.
If any of the readers of Blake would like to make preliminary inquiries about the contents of the list before it is published, Professor Chard would be happy to assist them.