Lydia Bailey

Lydia Bailey: A Checklist of Her Imprints, written by Karen Nipps, provides a scholarly examination of one of the most significant figures in early American printing. This biography explores the life of Lydia Bailey, a prominent Philadelphia printer who managed a large-scale operation from 1808 until 1861. As the first monograph focused on a woman printer during the handpress period, this work situates Bailey within her complex social, political, and religious environments. The text details her connections to influential contemporaries such as Mathew Carey and Philip Freneau, highlighting her vital role in the nineteenth-century book trade.

This historical volume serves as an indispensable resource for historians of the early Republic, gender, and technology. Following a detailed biographical essay, the book includes a comprehensive checklist of her known imprints and statistical appendixes regarding her shop. Lydia Bailey: A Checklist of Her Imprints offers essential data for researchers specializing in book industries, printing history, and Pennsylvania biography.