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A REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE
A History of the Edinburgh Printing Industry
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Thomas
Nelson was originally a bookseller, trading from his shop at the
Bowhead. Thus it was a natural progression for him to move into
the printing industry. He began in a modest way, working above his
shop, stereotyping reprints of well known books. He soon expanded,
however, moving his works to premises at Castle Hill Business grew
at such a rate that soon another move became necessary and, in 1843,
Nelson & Sons moved to their Hope Park works where they were
to remain, until dislodged by a disastrous fire in 1878. They set
an innovative example in the mass production of cheap literature
such as Pilgrim’s Progress and Robinson Crusoe.
A company closely associated with Edinburgh book printers were the
bookbinders Hunter & Foulis Ltd. They were founded by William
Hunter at Strichen’s Close, off the High Street, in 1857 as
William Hunter & Company. Douglas A. Foulis took over the firm
in 1925 and it became Hunter & Foulis Ltd., in 1946. A more
recent milestone in the company’s long history was their take-over
of Henderson & Bisset in 1968. In spite of the demise of the
large book printing houses in Edinburgh, it is noteworthy that Hunter
& Foulis Ltd., continue as a family business and remain one
of the largest publishers’, bookbinders in the UK.
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Volume 1, published 1990
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