Joseph Whitaker : 'Mechanic' to the Victorian Book Trade (Elements in Publishing and Book Culture)

Joseph Whitaker is best remembered today as the originator of Whitaker's Almanack, but he was also one of the most important publishers of the nineteenth century. As editor of The Bookseller, he had a panoramic view of the book trade and studied the commercial and structural forces that shaped its activities. His journal helped readers seize the opportunities and manage the risks of the increasingly competitive business culture and tried to foster a sense of pride within the community by encouraging booksellers and publishers to work together for their collective benefit. The publication of The Reference Catalogue of Current Literature in 1874, the most comprehensive collection of books in print and available for sale, was an indispensable guide for booksellers and, together with The Bookseller, created an indispensable communication and information service that remains at the heart of the book trade today.