ABSTRACT
The per iod from 1836 to 1916 is marked by the enormous growth in the volume of book publishing in Britain. The first half of the period was a time of enterprise and expansion into large and valuable imperial markets. At horne population growth and improving literacy rates combined to increase the potential market for books faster than the output of the industry. From the 1830s to the 1870s there was a 'book hunger', and only in the 1880s did production begin to catch up with demand.
