Eyre & Spottiswoode
Eyre & Spottiswoode, Ltd. was the London based printing firm that was the King's Printer, and subsequently, after April 1929, a publisher of the same name. It became part of Associated Book Publishers and merged with Methuen Publishing in the 1970s.
History
William Strahan established his printing house in London in 1739 and by 1769 had a share in both the King's Printing House and the Law Printing House. George Edward Eyre and Andrew Spottiswoode were printers to the Queen's most excellent majesty for Her Majesty's Stationery Office in 1845. Their sons subsequently ran the business. The firm was re-appointed King's Printer after the accession of King Edward VII in May 1901.[1]
Publication of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
In 1920 the firm experienced the dubious distinction of being the first to publish, if not in the "King's English", at least in printed book form, the notorious antisemitic text, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, with the additional title The Jewish Peril.
However, as Norman Cohn points out, a distinction is to be made between the printer and the publisher of the same name. The book, or rather pamphlet, shows it was printed by "EYRE & SPOTTISWOODE, LTD."
- "It seems that this edition of the Protocols was printed to private commission and therefore bears the imprint of the printers, Eyre & Spotiswoode Ltd[.], instead of a publisher's imprint. The firm of Eyre & Spotiswoode (Publishers) Ltd was not founded until April 1929." (Cohn 1996, footnote 4, pg 167)
References
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27318. p. 3634. 28 May 1901.
- Norman Cohn, Warrant for Genocide, (London: Serif, 1996)