Publishers and printsellers
Langlois, François (1588-1647) French. Print publisher. Numerous travels to Italy and England (where a supplier of drawings to Arundel). Widow married Pierre Mariette II in 1655.
Langlois, Nicolas (1640-1703) French. Bookseller, publisher and printseller; son of François Langlois. His own son was another Nicolas (c.1670-1707) who took over his father's shop in 1703.
Larkin, George (active 1677) Publisher.
Laurie, R. H. (1777-1835) Son of Robert Laurie. On his father's retirement in 1812, went into partnership with James Whittle, trading as Whittle and Laurie. After Whittle's death in 1818 ran the business as R. H. Laurie, employing as draughtsmen John Purdy, Alexander Findlay, Alexander George Findlay and de la Rochette. In the 1820s and 30s built up the cartographic side of the business until he was overtaken by the expanding production of Admiralty charts. For the history of the firm, see entry for Robert Sayer. The business traded under a series of names.
Lawrence, J (fl. early 18th cent.) Published print by John Faber the Elder.
Layton, Andrew (late 17th cent.) Designer and publisher of playing cards.
Lea, Philip (active 1690-1700) Map maker and seller. Apprenticed to Robert Morden in 1675.
Lee, Edward (active 1620s) London print publisher not recorded by STC or any other source. His name has been found on two prints. The first is a large equestrian portrait of Charles I , which bears his address at the sign of the Gentleman and Porter in Old Street (Windsor, Royal Library; the plate was later reprinted by Pricke and Dicey, O'D.171). The other is a satirical engraving by Thomas Cecil, A New Year's Gift for Shrews (Hind III 47.43; BMSat 89). The portrait of Charles as King is an altered state of an earlier version which shows him as prince, but which appears also to have been published by Lee.
Lee, Samuel (active 1677-95) Publisher and printseller in London.
Leers, Arnold (active 1691) Dutch. Publisher.
Leers, Renier (active 1704) Flemish. Print and probably map publisher.
Lens, Bernard, II (1659-1725) See Directory of printmakers.
Lenthall, John (active 1670-85) Publisher, specialised in playing-cards.
Lewis, Edward (active 1711) Publisher.
Ley, William (active 1650) Publisher.
Liefrinck, Hans (1518?-1573) Flemish. Draughtsman, engraver and publisher; born in Augsburg and son of Willem; in Antwerp by 1538; Pieter van der Heyden and Pieter and Frans Huys were employed as engravers by Liefrinck; he also published engravings and woodcuts of ornamental designs, satirical subjects, maps and engravings after Italian masters such a Enea Vico; in addition he published prints by two Amsterdam printmakers, Harmen Muller and Cornelis Anthonisz; he also acquired a quantity of plates and woodblocks by Cornelis Bos from Bos' widow. There is another Hans Liefrinck (active 1567-d.1599) who was the son of Cornelis Liefrinck and worked in Leiden.
Lillicrap, Peter (active 1664) Printed broadsides; active in London.
Lintott, Bernard (1675-1736) Publisher and bookseller.
Lisle, Laurence (active 1617) Publisher; working in London after 1617. Lisle's signature as a publisher appears in portrait of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham engraved by Simon de Passe (H 29).
Lloyd, Humphrey (18th cent.) Publisher.
Lloyd, John (active 1682-92) An important London print publisher whose name is associated by Vertue with the discovery of mezzotint: according to his story (I 42-3) Lloyd and Luttrell got the secret from a certain Blois, the assistant of Blooteling. He adds that Lloyd later employed Beckett, and that this was how Beckett learned the secret. Lloyd's name, followed by 'exc.' is found on numerous mezzotint plates by Blooteling, van Somer and Luttrell, all of which seem to be datable between 1682 and 1685. In addition Chaloner Smith records under his name four anonymous mezzotints that he published. Luttrell's plate of the Bantam Ambassadors (CS 12) gives his address as 'in the middle Exchange in the Strand', and this is the same address as he gave in an advertisement in the Loyal Protestant of 6 May 1682 for a two-sheet prospect of Bow Church and its steeple, engraved by N.Yeates and J.Collins. Vertue (ibid.) says that Lloyd kept a print shop in Salisbury Street in the Strand. An undated engraving by John Savage of the head of van Dyck gives another form of address 'near Worcester House in the Strand'. These are all the same place. Lloyd's plates are invariably of good quality, and are distinguished by their elegant lettering. None is a restrike. The quantity of his publications, however, seems too small to have supported an entire business, and he had nothing to do with the book trade. He must have relied on a larger business in old master prints and drawings. The London Gazette for 8 June 1693 advertises 'A curious collection of prints by Mark Antony after Raphael ... and fine Italian drawings are to be sold by Jo. Lloyd in Salisbury-Exchange in the Strand.' The Luttrell plate referred to above later passed to John Smith.
Lowe, George (active 1612-26) Printer of engravings.
Lowndes, Samuel (17th cent.) Publisher.
Lowndes, W (active 1790) 1 record Published a print of Oliver Plunket by an unidentified printmaker.
Luttrell, M (active 1710) Female publisher; published a print by Edward Lutterell (CS 10).
Lye, Steven (active 1689) Publisher.