List of women printers and publishers before 1800

2069: 104: 1632: 1677: 1528: 948: 1136:. and, spent more than eight months imprisoned. During this time Anna Catharina took over his publishing duties and may have received guidance during her regular visits to her husband in prison. On John's release in 1735, he resumed control of the paper and printing business. Eleven years later, after her husband's death, Anna Catharina once again took responsibility for running both operations. She continued to publish the paper weekly, including a modest section of advertisements, along with other publications, including an annual almanac, and the printing shop also sold books and stationery. 715: 670: 1188: 214: 27: 1327: 1704:. After her husband's death in 1799 she continued his business, including the local newspaper. In her role as leader of Joh. Enschedé, she discovered new ways to publicize the company's distinctive talents as font owners by using the Enschedé fonts in advertisements in her newspaper. One of her programmes for her local theatre group used a decorative edging that became the model for the Netherlands' first banknote, which was printed by Enschedé in 1814. 310: 1426:(est. by 1731–after 1792) (fl. 1751–1792) was an Irish printer and bookseller who took over the business of Joseph Cotter, a bookseller in Dublin, after he died around 1751. Cotter is one of the few women to be admitted into the guild of St Luke the Evangelist as a quarter-brother in 1756, which was usually denied to women as they were not permitted full freedom. She paid quarterage to the guild until 1770. 938:, continued her husband's business and became a formidable book merchant in her own right. With the aid of her sons Samuel and John, Kene printed a variety of texts including a special edition of poems presented to Charles I to commemorate his coronation visit in 1633. Janet Kene's sister, Margaret Kene, was married to the printer John Wreittoun, who had been operating a press from at least 1624. 1611:, the first and only newspaper of the colony until 1785. When her husband died in 1781, she continued the business and used her name on the newspapers. During the 1780s the business got into financial problems, and de Beer had to sell off some slaves "who could read and write." De Beer published at least six newspapers, but often received warnings from the government, and at least one 1432:(est. by 1740–1794) was an Irish printer, stationer, and "bookseller to the courts of law" who took over her husband's business after his death in 1762. She married for a second time to the curate of St Werburgh's, Dublin, and bookseller, the Reverend Stewart Lynch. Known from then on as Mrs. Lynch, she continued to operate her bookselling and lending business from 6 1917:

professions in relation to the number of males, particularly in the 18th century, which was an era during which the Swedish press expanded rapidly, and 45 widow printers and publishers are known between 1496 and 1799; however, the majority of them only managed the business a few years before they remarried, and only a few truly left a mark in the profession.

1070: 1282:. She married printer and bookseller, John Hyde, on 18 June 1714. Following her husband's death in November 1728, Hyde took over their business on Dame Street in Dublin. In the 1730s and 1740s she was involved in collaborative ventures with other printers. Along with having more stable relationships with one or two other printers, this sort of 1256: 1342:(1702/3 – 1778) was an Irish printer and publisher who took over her husband's business after his death in 1741. She was a dues-paying, but not full, member of the Guild of St Luke the Evangelist, due to her gender. She ran a successful business and in 1776 she had six apprentices and seven journeymen. She co-published 538:(1757–1821), was a French publisher. On 13 August 1789, she founded le Journal d'État et du Citoyen, thereby becoming the first woman to be editor-in-chief of a journal. Over the next two years, she edited a number of other journals, which were essentially vehicles for her views on society, rights, and the revolution. 1149:

Green was able to keep on schedule for major jobs, like the printing of Acts and Votes and Proceedings for the Maryland legislature. She negotiated the same payment as would have been received by her husband. She got the family out of debt and purchased their home and printing business in three years.

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Sarah Roddam (1758 – 1828) was a printer, stationer, bookseller, and circulating library proprietor in the town of North Shields, Northumberland (now Tyne & Wear.) She took over the business on the death of her husband, Cuthbert Roddam, in 1797, training her son, James, who took over the business

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poet and publisher, and one of the first identifiable female journalists in Sweden. She was the publisher and chief editor of a number of different women's periodicals in Stockholm and in Finland between 1772 and 1783, and the publisher of the first periodical (as well as the first one by a woman) in

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1627) was a Jewish-Bohemian printer, active in Prague. She was the daughter of the printer Judah ben Alexander Kohen, who was known as Löb Setzer. A great deal of importance was placed on education within Jewish culture, and many of early printing presses produced Hebrew books. Prague became a center

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Printing required setting type and running the press itself, which could be arduous, as well as bookbinding. Although running the press was considered too physically difficult, many women were able to do all the jobs required to produce a book. Generally, women learned the trade from their fathers or

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and fulfilled contracts for the Maryland legislature during the period when her husband was ill and after his death in 1767. The family was left debt-ridden, and she needed to coordinate her printing and family activities for her six children, so she moved the printing business into her rented home.

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There were at least six women who were the official printers for various colonial governments, as Ann Timothy did for the state of South Carolina. According to a syndicated article, "Helped the Colonial Cause": "In nearly every case they advocated the colonial cause, and their editorials did much to

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of western Europe, which by the 16th century were "highly urbanized, literate, and cosmopolitan". Collectively known as 'Nederlanders", they shared common cultural roots, including ensuring that they had legal property and contractual rights. During the 16th and 17th centuries, there was significant

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invented the printing press around 1450, which allowed for mass production of books. Having books become more widely available meant that a wider range of people had access to information, but this threatened the authority of the state. Some printers had their works censored and may have been jailed

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includes women active as printers or publishers prior to the 19th century. Before the printing press was invented, books were made from pages written by scribes, and it could take up to a year or two for a book to be completed. Books were a luxury mainly for religious scholars and the upper classes.

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The printing industry was established in France in the 16th century, with Lyon being the first center and later Paris. The names of many widows active in the profession is known from the 16th century, such as Nicole Vostre (fl. 1537), Jeanne Bruneau, and Sibille de La Porte (fl. 1593). In the first

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Judith Rosanes (died 1805), was a Jewish-Polish printer. She was active as a printer with her spouse David Mann of Zolkiev, and after his death established her printing business in Lviv in 1782. She was the first Jewish woman to print Hebrew books on a commercial basis over an extended period, and

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began in 1701 and the majority of the maps she sold were of key moments, providing news of events in real-time. After her husband, publisher and art dealer Barent Beek, deserted her and their children, she ran the family business. Since at least 1697 she often used her maiden name "Van Westerstee"

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in 1732 where Ann was assistant printer, skilled in setting type and operating the press. James was ill for a period of time and ultimately died on 4 February 1735. Ann took over the business, using the signature "Widow Franklin". Her six-year-old son, James J., traveled with Benjamin Franklin to

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poet and publisher, and one of the first identifiable female journalists in Sweden. She was the publisher and chief editor of a number of women's periodicals in Stockholm and Finland between 1772 and 1783, and the publisher of the first periodical (as well as the first one by a woman) in Finland

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Doña Reyna Mendes (c. 1539–1599) was an Ottoman Jewish printer. After the death of her spouse in 1579, she established her own printing business, one in Belvedere, near Constantinople, and another press in the Constantinople suburb of Kuru Cesme. She published at least fifteen books, including a

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system in 19th-century Europe, the most common way for a woman to become a businesswoman was to inherit a business and profession from her late husband, as the guild privilege was by custom granted to the widow of a guild member. This was often the case in regard to women printers and publishers

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Capel Martínez, Rosa Mª (15 de enero de 2010). «Prensa y Escritura Femenina en la España Ilustrada». El Argonauta español. Revue bilingue, franco-espagnole, d'histoire moderne et contemporaine consacrée à l'étude de la presse espagnole de ses origines à nos jours (XVIIe-XXIe siècles) (7). ISSN

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managed a printing press and published works, but the first woman to be professionally active as a printer and publisher was not to appear until circa 1500. Since the widow of a male printer and publisher normally took over the business of her late spouse, women became fairly common in these

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Leon Voet, notes that Martina Plantin and her sisters were not isolated cases, and states that "sixteenth-century Italian and Spanish travelers, accustomed to a world where women were barred from public life, repeatedly expressed amazement – and often indignation – in their accounts of the

905:. As well as selling prints from London publishers, she designed and published a number of prints herself, including four views of Brighton in 1788., dedicated to Mrs. Fitzherbert. The original watercolours by Lay are in the Brighton Museum. In 1789 she published two prints by the young 5277:

Lisa Romæus Bertelman: Bröd och böcker : från mjölnardotter till bokbindaränka : Catharina Hööks liv i stormaktstidens slutskede. Borås : Högsk. i Borås, Institutionen Bibliotekshögskolan (1998) Magisteruppsats i biblioteks- och informationsvetenskap vid Institutionen

655:(1709–1787), was a German printer. She managed the printing shop Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht in Göttingen after the death of her spouse Abraham Vandenhoeck in 1751 to 1787, a printing shop famous for publishing a great number of the well-known literature of the Age of Enlightenment. 1474:. After her husband's death on 5 April 1777, Finn continued to print and publish the Journal. She ran the printing business, while raising seven children, until 1805. She sold advertisement space, organised editorial content, and oversaw the printing and the distribution. 2068: 688:

England followed the European custom of allowing widows to inherit the guild privilege and business of their late printer and publisher husbands until they remarried, and 34 widows are known to have been active as book printers and publishers in London in 1641–1660.

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of importance. Guillard worked at the noted Soleil d'Or printing house from 1502 until her death. She became one of the most important printers of the Latin Quarter area in the city of Paris. She was officially active with her own imprint during her two widowhood

1247:. After his death in 1669 Crooke's brother, this meant that Crooke became the king's printer and held a monopoly on the printing, binding, and selling of books in Ireland. This made her one of the earliest recorded women printers in Ireland, along with 1593:(1714–1781) was a Dutch printer. Widowed after Johannes II van Keulen in 1755, she managed his printing business, as well as his office as the official cartography printer of the Dutch East India Company in Amsterdam, which she managed until her death. 3784: 235:

née Høpfner (11 January 1721 – 22 February 1781) was a Danish book printer and publisher. She took over the printing business after her husband died in 1769. She owned the monopoly of printing and publishing the sentences of the de facto regent

1867:(fl. 1689) was a 17th- and 18th-century Spanish editor and journalist. When her spouse died in 1678, she inherited his printing privilege and title of "Impresora de la Muy Noble y Muy Leal Provincia de Guipúzcoa". She founded and published the 974:. Benjamin Franklin also played a role in women running printing and publishing businesses. Franklin had used his own money to set up printing operations in the colonies for six years for each business. In the meantime, if the husband, like 1814:

in 1602, who left for India five years after their marriage. She managed the business between 1607 and 1666. Her company was one of the most successful in Spain and responsible for the publication of a large number of the literature of the

873:. She also published sermons, for example, those of James Dore, her minister at Maze Pond. In the years 1788 to 1794 she was at her most active in producing pamphlets. In 1794, Gurney, along with other publishers, produced a new edition of 1314:. Following her husband's imprisonment for publishing an unauthorised version of the lord lieutenant's speech on the opening of the parliamentary session, Harding took over the printing business. Her first publication was a pamphlet, 324:

half of the 17th century, 208 widow printers and publishers were active in France, and during the 17th century, about 540 widows are estimated to have been active within the publishing, printing and retailing book business in France.

1114:. She was the first woman in America to become a newspaper publisher. Benjamin compared her to her late husband, "Her accounts were clearer, she collected on more bills, and she cut off advertisements if payments were not current." 1952:(died 1727), widowed after the Royal Book Printer Henrik Keyser the Younger in 1699, she took over the office and business of Royal Book Printer after her late spouse; her most known work was the printing of the Bible of king 1512:. She later was active in the company of her husband, actor Giovan Geronimo Favella, in Naples. When she was widowed in 1642, she took over the printing press of her late spouse and developed his pamphlets into a paper. 978:

died, Franklin negotiated the arrangements for wives to take over the contract. It was generally a financial necessity for widowed women in the printing profession to carry on the business, like Ann, Elizabeth, and

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tractate of the Talmud as well as several prayer books. She was the first Jewish woman to have established her own press rather than inheriting it, and the first woman printer and publisher in the Ottoman Empire.

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and bookseller. She and her husband, David Mallet, ran a printing and bookselling business in the later 17th century. After David died in 1683, she ran two presses. She published serial news publications such as

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growth in burgeoning fields, such as art and literature, which provided opportunities for women in the cities. In particular, four women printers ran the family-owned Plantin-Moretus printing house (

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Establés Susán, Sandra, (2018). Diccionario de mujeres impresoras y libreras de España e Iberoamérica entre los siglos XV y XVII (1a. edición). Prensas de la Universidad de Zaragoza. p. 419-420.

1518:(circa 1500-1559) was an Italian printer from Perugia, active in Rome in the years 1543-1559. She was the wife of printer Baldassarre Cartolari and ran the printing shop in Rome after his death. 1065:

Philadelphia to be educated by a private tutor. She taught her daughters how to set type and assist in running the printing business, which also printed books, almanacs, and other printed works.

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and controversialist, who used her own printing press to address public concerns throughout her adult life. At the age of 17, she married Thomas James, a printer in London, on 27 October 1662.

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in 1721. It was the first independent newspaper published in the American colonies. She became experienced in the printing business and general business practices. The couple established the

331:(c. 1490–1557) was a French printer and seller of liturgical and devotional books in Paris. She was among a handful of important female book printers in Paris during this time, including 2293:

Voet, Leon, The Golden compasses: a history and evaluation of the printing and publishing activities of the Officina Plantiniana at Antwerp in two volumes, Vangendt, Amsterdam, 1969–1972

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printed at least fifty books until her death. After her death, her printing press was managed by her daughter-in-law Chave Grossman (in 1827–1849) and granddaughter Feige (in 1849–1857).

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shop proprietor in the 18th century. In 1708, married Nathaniel Dodd, who had purchased a stationer's license. Nathaniel and Anne set up their shop at the sign of the Peacock outside

706:, London, from 1677 to 1696. Operating her shop on Aldersgate Street, Clark oversaw the printing and publication of over 100 imprints. The print shop was established by her husband, 375:

to manage the printing business empire of their late father Jacques Giunta of Lyons despite this normally being the privilege only of widows, and printed under their maiden names.

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Establés Susán, Sandra (2018). Diccionario de mujeres impresoras y libreras de España e Iberoamérica entre los siglos XV y XVIII. Prensas de la Universidad de Zaragoza. p. 463.

4432: 1292:(est. by 1701–after 1729) (fl. 1721–1729) was an Irish printer and publisher who suffered "inopportune imprisonments" for some of her publications. She is known for publishing 710:. After his death in 1677, Clark continued to run the shop herself until 1696. At the time, in 17th-century London, it was unusual for a woman to own and operate a print shop. 1843:

who took over her family's business after the death of her brother at the age of 77. She used the imprint "Hereus de Joan Jolís" (Heirs of Joan Jolís). The company had three

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Jeanne de Marnef (fl. 1545–1547), was a French printer. She managed the printing shop of her late spouse Denys Janot, royal printer of French language publications in Paris.

3225:. French, Josephine., Scott, Valerie, 1942–, Lowenthal, Mary Alice. (Rev. ed.). Tring, Herts, England: Map Collector Publications in association with Richard Arkway. 966:. Since printing was often a multi-generational family business, there were some printing families with two or more generations of women printers, which was the case with 887:(est. by 1763– after 1788) (active 1783-1788 in London) was a London print seller, significant in particular for being the publisher of nearly seventy prints by the young 217: 1656: 1206:(c. 1740 – September 25, 1774) was a Colonial American woman who is known as being the first female newspaper printer and publisher in Virginia. Living and working in 1646:(16 November 1762 – 4 January 1843) was a blind Dutch writer, editor, and feminist. She managed a paper in 1788–1797, in which she addressed political issues such as 2535:

Henrika Zilliacus-Tikkanen: När könet började skriva – Kvinnor i finländsk press 1771–1900 (English: When gender started to write – women in Finnish media 1771–1900)

1279: 1161:, working alongside her husband until his death in 1782, and she published the newspaper by herself. She became the official printer for the state of South Carolina. 491:(1759–78) in 1763–1766. She developed the magazine into one of the most successful Publications in France at the time, and it became famous for its feminist content. 2490: 833:(1715/16 – 10 April 1789) was a British printer and business owner in York. As a printer, Ann is best known for her role in the publication of the first edition of 378: 2700: 1925: 1303: 707: 4049: 1804:(d. 1666) was a Spanish printer. She was the owner and manager of a major printing business in Valencia in 1647–1650 and in 1655–1666, during her two widowhoods. 1792:(d. 1587) was a Spanish printer. She was the owner and manager of a major printing business in Valencia in 1556–1559 and in 1580–1587, during her two widowhoods. 1623: 1244: 4658:

Alfabetische lijst der boekdrukkers, boekverkoopers en uitgevers in Noord-Nederland sedert de uitvinding der boekdrukkunst tot den aanvang der negentiende eeuw

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Breger, Jennifer. "Printers." Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 27 February 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on 15 March 2021) <

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Steven J. Shaw. Colonial Newspaper Advertising: A Step toward Freedom of the Press. The Business History Review, Vol. 33, No. 3 (Autumn, 1959), pp. 409–420

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as an official printer on 24 March 1743. She also published a range of books, produced for Exshaw and others, as well as book catalogues in 1775 and 1760.

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Anna Margareta Momma, www.skbl.se/sv/artikel/AnnaMargaretavonBragner, Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon (artikel av Ann Öhrberg), hämtad 15 March 2021.

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Beeck, Anna, and Gaspar De Baillieu. A collection of plans of fortifications and battles, −1709: Europe. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress,

643: 127:(1550–1616) was a printer. At the age of seventeen, she ran the family's lace business and continued to run it after her marriage. She married printer 5324:

Compagnie des pasteurs et professeurs de Genève (1980). Registres de la Compagnie des pasteurs de Genève (en francés). VI, 1589–1594. Librairie Droz.

3100: 2833: 265: 381:(died 1620) was a French book printer, active in Paris. She managed a printing press and bookselling business after the death of her spouse in 1610. 1455: 2326: 2182: 1795: 2555: 1353: 1302:

in 1729 (a sharp satire that compared English treatment of the Irish to cannibalism). Sarah Harding was the wife and business partner of printer

1222: 975: 588: 4889: 365:(died 1559), French book printer, active in Lyon. She managed the printing press and bookselling business after the death of her spouse in 1527. 349:

Madeleine Boursette (fl. 1540–1555), was a French printer. She managed the printing shop of her late spouse Francois Regnault from 1540 to 1555.

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Feyel G., l'Annonce et la Nouvelle : la presse d'information et son évolution sous l'Ancien Régime (1630–1788), thèse U. de Paris IV, 1994

1897:(d. 1754) was a Spanish printer. She was the owner and manager of a printing business in Mexico City in Spanish Mexico as a widow in 1714–1732. 1401: 844: 4148: 3813: 3613: 584: 1729:

from 1794 to 1795. The paper mainly consisted of translated popular science, novels, and articles from English, French and German magazines.

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Antoinette Peronnet (fl. 1576), was a French printer. She managed the printing shop of her late spouse Gabriel Cotier of Lyons in 1565–1576.

2587: 1717:(1762–1832), was a Norwegian (originally Danish) journalist and managing editor who has been referred to as the first female journalist in 931: 3726:

Encyclopedia of American Women in Business: M-Z Volume 2 of Encyclopedia of American Women in Business: From Colonial Times to the Present

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Margarethe Prüss (d. 1542), was a German printer. She was a printer and as the manager of her late father Johann Prüss I:s printing shop

1034:, in 1686 and established a press that primarily printed government forms. Following her husband's death in 1695, Nuthead inherited the 2959: 2159: 569:(died after 1484), is considered to be the first female typographer to inscribe her name in the colophon of a book, in the 15th century 3557: 2610: 5475: 2902: 5097:

Gregori Roig, Rosa M. (2012). La impressora Jerònima Galés i els Mey (València, segle XVI). Biblioteca Valenciana Nicolau Primitiu.

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Ruth P. Dawson: "'And This Shield is called—Self-Reliance,' Emerging Feminist Consciousness in the Late Eighteenth Century." In:

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