First published in 1897, this is one of many books written by the technical journalist John Southward (1840–1902), one of the most prolific writers on printing in the nineteenth century. As the title indicates, Southward is primarily concerned with the development and progress of printing. Here he takes a thoroughly practical approach, surveying the different methods of printing and considering the improvements made in printing advertisements, books and newspapers, as well as to the different stages of the printing process itself. Southward's prose is clear and precise, and his style changes seamlessly from a narrative account of printing history to more instructional descriptions of printing methods. The book contains numerous illustrations and diagrams, and the pages are all lavishly decorated. This is a beautiful book, a thoroughly comprehensive account of the history and processes of printing from one of the leading nineteenth-century authorities on the subject.