Reprint of 1896 edition. Harbound.492pp. Elsevier is the name of a family of booksellers, book binders, printers and publishers who worked in the northern Netherlands from the late 16th century through most of the 17th century. They played an important part in the publishing and literary history of that period in Western Europe. Their first imprint was issued in 1583 and the firm was active until the end of the 17th century, during which time French collectors began to assemble collections of the small Elsevier editions published in duodecimo. As a result, these small editions were much sought after and even forged. Famed collections came into existence.