title: John Lawson's "A New Voyage to Carolina": notes on the publication history of the London (1709) edition.
abstract: John Lawson's "A New Voyage to Carolina," an important source document for American colonial natural history, was first printed in 1709 in "A New Collection of Voyages and Travels," a two-volume set that also contained travel books translated by John Stevens. Lawson's publishers were leaders in the book trade of early eighteenth century London, and the "New Voyage" is typical of the resurgent popular interest in foreign travel narratives and exotic flora and fauna that began in the late 1600s. The "New Collection" was among the earliest examples of books published in serial instalments or fascicles, a marketing strategy adopted by London booksellers to broaden the audience and increase sales. Analysis of London issues of the "New Voyage" indicates that the 1709, 1711, 1714, and 1718 versions are simply bindings of the original, unsold sheets from the 1709 "New Collection" edition, differing only by new title-pages, front matter, and random stop-press corrections of type-set errors. Lawson's "New Voyage" illustrates important aspects of the British book trade during the hand press period of the early eighteenth century.
authors.forename: Marcus B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Sallie W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D001319:Authorship; D001878:Books, Illustrated / Q000266:history; D001879:Bookselling / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D018595:Colonialism / Q000266:history; D004739:England / Q000208:ethnology; D035264:Flowers / Q000502:physiology; D049671:History, 18th Century; D019021:Natural History / Q000193:education / Q000266:history; D009657:North Carolina / Q000208:ethnology; D010944:Plants; D011327:Printing / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012106:Research / Q000193:education / Q000266:history; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D012693:Serial Publications / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013022:South Carolina / Q000208:ethnology; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000208:ethnology; D014195:Travel / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology