Folger Orientation to Research Methods and Agendas (June 2020)

Items

The Northumberland, a New Dance Compos'd by Mr. Isaac

• printed by John Walsh
  • "In 1695, when he began publishing, Walsh had few rivals in the trade. John Playford was dead, and his son Henry evidently lacked the initiative to maintain the family firm as a flourishing concern. Thomas Cross, while popular for his introduction of the engraved single-sheet song, was concerned more with engraving than publishing. Walsh was quick to take advantage of the situation, and engraved music appeared from his premises on a scale previously unknown in England." (Grove)
  • "About 1700 (not 1710 as Hawkins maintains) Walsh replaced the use of copper plates with less costly pewter ones, and also began using punches. There was no necessary connection between these innovations but they seem to have been conceived in tandem. It is unlikely that Walsh continued to employ both metals extensively, not only because of the differences in working them and the cost advantage of pewter, but also because different inks and alteration of the rolling press were required. Pewter plates, while generally regarded as softer than copper, could produce 2000 or more impressions if handled well. As initial print runs were usually in the range of 50–200 copies, plate stamina was not a concern." (Grove)
  • "Walsh was the first music printer and publisher to adopt regularly the passe-partout technique of printing title-pages. This involved the creation of title-page plates with a blank area within which title information could be printed from a second, small plate or written in manuscript." (Grove)