John Cassell
Encyclopedia
John Cassell was an English
publisher, printer, writer and editor, who founded the firm Cassell & Co, famous for its educational books and periodicals, and which pioneered the serial
publication of novels. He was also a well-known tea
and coffee
merchant and a general business entrepreneur. A fervent Christian
, he campaigned throughout his life for the temperance movement
in Britain
, for the reduction of taxes on publishing, and was a social reformer who recognised the importance of education in improving the life of the working class
, and whose many publications, both magazines and books, brought learning and culture to the masses.
, then in Lancashire
; the son of Mark Cassell, landlord of a public house
called "The Ring O' Bells" at 8 The Old Churchyard, Hunt's Bank, Manchester. The family enjoyed a reasonable standard of living for the first 10 years until his father was disabled by a fall, dying 3 years later. The burden of providing for the family fell on his mother who made a living through upholstery
work, though this left her with little time for her son. John received little education as a result and, from an early age, was required to work as a factory hand, manufacturing "tape" and velveteen
. Cassell detested the work, which was both confining and monotonous, and felt oppressed by the appalling social conditions around him. Seeking better prospects, he impressed a local carpenter
with his woodworking skills and was offered an apprenticeship.
, and "signed the pledge" at a local meeting held by a Mr. Thomas Swindlehurst; he also witnessed the well-known temperance campaigner Joseph Livesey
speak at the Oak Street Chapel in Manchester. At the time, alcoholism was a pressing social issue; tea and coffee were prohibitively expensive for the working classes, milk was seen as a luxury, and beer
, by contrast, was relatively cheap and easily attainable. Cassell strongly identified with the ideals of the movement and, having first honoured his indentures of apprenticeship, decided to become a travelling temperance lecturer. Making good his lack of formal education, he had also sought self-improvement by teaching himself general knowledge, English literature and some French language.
In 1836, having spent several months lecturing on teetotalism in the Manchester area, Cassell set off by foot for London
, stopping on the way to speak about temperance to any audience that he could find, and supporting himself by doing carpentry odd-jobs. In October 1836, after 16 days of walking, he finally arrived in London with the princely sum of 3 pence in his pocket, unable even to afford lodgings for the night. That same evening, he spoke at a temperance meeting at the New Jerusalem Schoolroom near Westminster Bridge Road
, and for the next 6 months was involved in temperance campaigning in the capital.
In April 1837, Cassell was enrolled as a recognised agent of the "National Temperance Society", and toured around England and Wales, lecturing and taking total abstinence "pledges". In 1841, whilst on a temperance tour of the eastern counties, he met a Lincolnshire
woman, Mary Abbott, whom he married the following year. Mary inherited a sum of money from her father which enabled the couple to settle in St. John's Wood, London, and gave John the capital he needed to invest in a business. Their home became a meeting place for writers, artists and reformers - people such as George Cruickshank
, William
and Mary
Howitt, and Ellen Wood
.
, City of London
. The business was an immediate success, moving eventually to larger premises in 80 Fenchurch Street
. His teas and coffees were extensively advertised in the press, and slogans such as "Buy Cassell's shilling coffee" made them quite a household word. He bought a second-hand printing press to produce advertising leaflets for his wares and this led him to writing and publishing his own temperance tracts
.
In 1850, he started the "Working Man's Friend", a weekly magazine aiming to educate its readers without patronising them or playing to the lowest common denominator, and sympathetic to the life of working-class people. Its readers sent in hundreds of letters and articles for publication, and the magazine drew praise from figures such as Richard Cobden
, politician and social reformer, and the Earl of Carlisle. In 1851, in order to expand the business, Cassell purchased William Cathrell's printing plant in The Strand, London, bringing the printing of the "Working Man's Friend" in-house.
, started publication, to great success, achieving sales of 100,000 by December. The expansion of the company meant a move to bigger premises at "La Belle Sauvage
Yard" - previously the site of a centuries-old inn
- on the north side of Ludgate Hill
, in 1852.
Around this time the "Cassell's Library" series started to appear; 26 volumes were eventually published including books on history, biography and science. In April 1852, the weekly "Popular Educator" started publication, achieving both popular success and critical acclaim - "a school, a library and a university" was how one commentator described it. The magazine inspired readers to continue their education in local classes, with Cassell offering practical and financial help where needed. It became something an institution, helping to improve the education, prospects and employment opportunities of the nation; even Lloyd George, future Prime Minister
of Britain, credited the "Popular Educator" with bolstering his meagre childhood education and helping him to better himself. This was followed in 1852 with the "Popular Biblical Educator", which hoped to do for religion what its predecessor had done for general knowledge.
In 1853, the "Illustrated Family Paper" started publication, aiming to provided literary recreation for a family audience. It included not just educational articles but serialisations of novels as well. One of these "The Warp and the Weft", a tale about Lancashire
mill workers by John Frederick Smith
, appeared during the Lancashire Cotton Famine, and inspired readers of the paper to contribute a large sum to a relief fund for cotton workers. In 1867, after Cassell's death, the magazine was reduced in size and changed its name to "Cassell's Magazine
".
Other periodicals included "The Illustrated Magazine of Art" (1853-54, later revived as "The Magazine of Art
" to greater success some years after Cassell's death), "The Freeholder" (monthly magazine of the "free land" movement), and the religious magazines "The Pathway and "The Quiver" (first edition 7 Sep 1861). Cassell also conceived the idea of daily paper but this did not come to fruition until 3 years after his death; "The Echo", as it was called, lasted only a few years from 1868-1875, when it was sold off, continuing, under various management, until 1905.
Cassell visited America
in 1853 to attend the "World Temperance Convention" in New York
, and again in 1854 and 1859 on publishing business. He met the author Harriet Beecher Stowe
and arranged for the publication of an illustrated edition of "Uncle Tom's Cabin
" in Britain - to great success. Cassell strongly supported the cause of the slavery abolitionists.
In 1859, on his return from America, he went into full partnership with Petter & Galpin, the company becoming "Cassell, Petter & Galpin". The company was particularly successful in its production of illustrated editions of classic literature such as "Robinson Crusoe
", "Gulliver's travels
", "The Vicar of Wakefield
" and others. The great French artist Gustave Doré
provided illustrations for Dante's "Inferno
" (1861), "Don Quixote", and a special edition of the Holy Bible. The company's premises at La Belle Sauvage yard also gained the distinction of a visit from the French Emperor Napoleon III himself, as it was publishing the English edition of his book, "The History of Julius Caesar".
Cassell played an important part in lobbying government to reduce the burden of taxation on paper and periodical publications - the "tax on knowledge" as it was called - and his endeavours in the 1850s helped to repeal Newspaper Advertisement Duty, Newspaper Stamp Duty and Paper Duty (the latter in 1861).
. Despite his efforts the venture came to nothing and, though no serious financial loss was sustained, the project was a great drain on his time and energy.
Cassell died, aged only 48, of an internal tumour, on 2 April 1865 at his home at 25 Avenue Road, Regents Park, London - the same day as his friend Richard Cobden
- and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery
. He was survived by his widow Mary, who died in Brighton
on 6 July 1885. He also left a daughter, Sophia (d. 1912). The company, "Cassell, Petter & Galpin", which at the time of his death, employed 500 people, continued to prosper under the management of the remaining partners, Petter and Galpin.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
publisher, printer, writer and editor, who founded the firm Cassell & Co, famous for its educational books and periodicals, and which pioneered the serial
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
publication of novels. He was also a well-known tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
merchant and a general business entrepreneur. A fervent Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, he campaigned throughout his life for the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, for the reduction of taxes on publishing, and was a social reformer who recognised the importance of education in improving the life of the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
, and whose many publications, both magazines and books, brought learning and culture to the masses.
Early years
John Cassell was born on 23 January 1817 in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, then in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
; the son of Mark Cassell, landlord of a public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
called "The Ring O' Bells" at 8 The Old Churchyard, Hunt's Bank, Manchester. The family enjoyed a reasonable standard of living for the first 10 years until his father was disabled by a fall, dying 3 years later. The burden of providing for the family fell on his mother who made a living through upholstery
Upholstery
Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder, which referred to a tradesman who held up his goods. The term is equally applicable to domestic,...
work, though this left her with little time for her son. John received little education as a result and, from an early age, was required to work as a factory hand, manufacturing "tape" and velveteen
Velveteen
Velveteen is a cloth made in imitation of velvet. Normally cotton, the term is sometimes applied to a mixture of silk and cotton. Some velveteens are a kind of fustian, having a rib of velvet pile alternating with a plain depression. This fabric has a pile that is short , and is closely set. It has...
. Cassell detested the work, which was both confining and monotonous, and felt oppressed by the appalling social conditions around him. Seeking better prospects, he impressed a local carpenter
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
with his woodworking skills and was offered an apprenticeship.
Temperance movement
In 1833, Cassell came under the influence of the temperance movementTemperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, and "signed the pledge" at a local meeting held by a Mr. Thomas Swindlehurst; he also witnessed the well-known temperance campaigner Joseph Livesey
Joseph Livesey
Joseph William Livesey was an English temperance campaigner, social reformer, local politician, writer, publisher, newspaper proprietor and philanthropist.-Early life:...
speak at the Oak Street Chapel in Manchester. At the time, alcoholism was a pressing social issue; tea and coffee were prohibitively expensive for the working classes, milk was seen as a luxury, and beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, by contrast, was relatively cheap and easily attainable. Cassell strongly identified with the ideals of the movement and, having first honoured his indentures of apprenticeship, decided to become a travelling temperance lecturer. Making good his lack of formal education, he had also sought self-improvement by teaching himself general knowledge, English literature and some French language.
In 1836, having spent several months lecturing on teetotalism in the Manchester area, Cassell set off by foot for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, stopping on the way to speak about temperance to any audience that he could find, and supporting himself by doing carpentry odd-jobs. In October 1836, after 16 days of walking, he finally arrived in London with the princely sum of 3 pence in his pocket, unable even to afford lodgings for the night. That same evening, he spoke at a temperance meeting at the New Jerusalem Schoolroom near Westminster Bridge Road
Westminster Bridge Road
Westminster Bridge Road is a short, but busy, road in London, England. It runs on an east-west axis and passes through the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark....
, and for the next 6 months was involved in temperance campaigning in the capital.
In April 1837, Cassell was enrolled as a recognised agent of the "National Temperance Society", and toured around England and Wales, lecturing and taking total abstinence "pledges". In 1841, whilst on a temperance tour of the eastern counties, he met a Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
woman, Mary Abbott, whom he married the following year. Mary inherited a sum of money from her father which enabled the couple to settle in St. John's Wood, London, and gave John the capital he needed to invest in a business. Their home became a meeting place for writers, artists and reformers - people such as George Cruickshank
George Cruickshank
George Alexander Cruickshank was an Australian politician. Born near Dubbo, New South Wales, he attended Collegiate School in Bathurst, and was a grazier in northern New South Wales from 1878. In 1889 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Inverell, a position...
, William
William Howitt
William Howitt , was an English author.He was born at Heanor, Derbyshire. His parents were Quakers, and he was educated at the Friends public school at Ackworth, Yorkshire. His younger brothers were Richard and Godrey whom he helped tutor. In 1814 he published a poem on the Influence of Nature and...
and Mary
Mary Howitt
Mary Howitt was an English poet, and author of the famous poem The Spider and the Fly. She was born Mary Botham at Coleford, in Gloucestershire, the temporary residence of her parents, while her father, Samuel Botham, a prosperous Quaker of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, was looking after some mining...
Howitt, and Ellen Wood
Ellen Wood (author)
Ellen Wood , was an English novelist, better known as "Mrs. Henry Wood". She is best known for her 1861 novel East Lynne.-Life:...
.
Tea, coffee and temperance tracts
In 1843, Cassells set himself up as a tea and coffee merchant in Coleman StreetColeman Street
Coleman Street is a street and one of the 25 ancient wards in the City of London.- The Ward :Warren Stormes Hale, Lord Mayor of London in 1864, was the Ward’s most notable civic dignitary...
, City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. The business was an immediate success, moving eventually to larger premises in 80 Fenchurch Street
Fenchurch Street
Fenchurch Street is a street in the City of London home to a number of shops, pubs and offices. It links Aldgate at its eastern end with Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street to the west. To the south of Fenchurch Street and towards its eastern end is Fenchurch Street railway station...
. His teas and coffees were extensively advertised in the press, and slogans such as "Buy Cassell's shilling coffee" made them quite a household word. He bought a second-hand printing press to produce advertising leaflets for his wares and this led him to writing and publishing his own temperance tracts
Tract (literature)
A tract is a literary work, and in current usage, usually religious in nature. The notion of what constitutes a tract has changed over time. By the early part of the 21st century, these meant small pamphlets used for religious and political purposes, though far more often the former. They are...
.
Temperance periodicals and the "Working Man's Friend"
Cassell went into partnership with his brother-in-law, and this allowed him to concentrate on editing and writing periodicals, the first of which, "The Teetotal Times", appeared in 1846, becoming, in 1849, "The Teetoal Times and Essayist" a monthly, which continued for a few years afterwards. In July 1848, he started publication of "Standard of Freedom", a weekly newspaper aimed at the popular market, whose principals were free-trade and freedom of religion. It only lasted until 1851, becoming incorporated into the "Weekly News and Chronicle".In 1850, he started the "Working Man's Friend", a weekly magazine aiming to educate its readers without patronising them or playing to the lowest common denominator, and sympathetic to the life of working-class people. Its readers sent in hundreds of letters and articles for publication, and the magazine drew praise from figures such as Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden was a British manufacturer and Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with John Bright in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League as well as with the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty...
, politician and social reformer, and the Earl of Carlisle. In 1851, in order to expand the business, Cassell purchased William Cathrell's printing plant in The Strand, London, bringing the printing of the "Working Man's Friend" in-house.
Business expansion
In 1851, "The Illustrated exhibitor", a monthly periodical about The Great ExhibitionThe Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
, started publication, to great success, achieving sales of 100,000 by December. The expansion of the company meant a move to bigger premises at "La Belle Sauvage
Bell Savage Inn
The Bell Savage Inn was a former public house in London, England, from the 15th century to 1873, originally located on the north side of what is now Ludgate Hill, in the City of London. It was a playhouse during the Elizabethan Era, as well as a venue for various other entertainments. It was also...
Yard" - previously the site of a centuries-old inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
- on the north side of Ludgate Hill
Ludgate Hill
Ludgate Hill is a hill in the City of London, near the old Ludgate, a gate to the City that was taken down, with its attached gaol, in 1780. Ludgate Hill is the site of St Paul's Cathedral, traditionally said to have been the site of a Roman temple of the goddess Diana. It is one of the three...
, in 1852.
Around this time the "Cassell's Library" series started to appear; 26 volumes were eventually published including books on history, biography and science. In April 1852, the weekly "Popular Educator" started publication, achieving both popular success and critical acclaim - "a school, a library and a university" was how one commentator described it. The magazine inspired readers to continue their education in local classes, with Cassell offering practical and financial help where needed. It became something an institution, helping to improve the education, prospects and employment opportunities of the nation; even Lloyd George, future Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Britain, credited the "Popular Educator" with bolstering his meagre childhood education and helping him to better himself. This was followed in 1852 with the "Popular Biblical Educator", which hoped to do for religion what its predecessor had done for general knowledge.
In 1853, the "Illustrated Family Paper" started publication, aiming to provided literary recreation for a family audience. It included not just educational articles but serialisations of novels as well. One of these "The Warp and the Weft", a tale about Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
mill workers by John Frederick Smith
John Frederick Smith
John Frederick Smith was a popular English novelist, who has been called "England's most popular novelist of the mid-nineteenth century".Smith became famous for his serializations in The London Journal.-Works:...
, appeared during the Lancashire Cotton Famine, and inspired readers of the paper to contribute a large sum to a relief fund for cotton workers. In 1867, after Cassell's death, the magazine was reduced in size and changed its name to "Cassell's Magazine
Cassell's Magazine
Cassell's Magazine was the successor to Cassell's Illustrated Family Paper, which was published from 31 December 1853 to 9 March 1867, becoming Cassell's Family Magazine in 1874, Cassell's Magazine in 1897, and, after 1912, Cassell's Magazine of Fiction.The magazine was edited by H. G...
".
Parnership with Petter & Galpin
By the end of 1854, an unexpected call to repay credit advanced by his paper supplier forced Cassell to sell the copyright and stock for the "Illustrated Family Paper", "Popular Educator" and other completed publications. This was only meant to be a temporary measure until the business found its feet again. Hence he found himself in semi-partnership with the printing firm "Petter & Galpin". During this interim period "The Illustrated Family Bible" a periodical in penny parts appeared and achieved popularity abroad as well as at home. In 1865 came the "Illustrated History of England", in weekly and monthly parts, totalling 8 volumes and with around 2000 illustrations; more than a quarter of a million copies were sold of the first edition.Other periodicals included "The Illustrated Magazine of Art" (1853-54, later revived as "The Magazine of Art
The Magazine of Art
The Magazine of Art was an illustrated monthly British journal devoted to the visual arts, published from May 1878 to July 1904 in London and New York by Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co...
" to greater success some years after Cassell's death), "The Freeholder" (monthly magazine of the "free land" movement), and the religious magazines "The Pathway and "The Quiver" (first edition 7 Sep 1861). Cassell also conceived the idea of daily paper but this did not come to fruition until 3 years after his death; "The Echo", as it was called, lasted only a few years from 1868-1875, when it was sold off, continuing, under various management, until 1905.
Cassell visited America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1853 to attend the "World Temperance Convention" in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and again in 1854 and 1859 on publishing business. He met the author Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
and arranged for the publication of an illustrated edition of "Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
" in Britain - to great success. Cassell strongly supported the cause of the slavery abolitionists.
In 1859, on his return from America, he went into full partnership with Petter & Galpin, the company becoming "Cassell, Petter & Galpin". The company was particularly successful in its production of illustrated editions of classic literature such as "Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe that was first published in 1719. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is a fictional autobiography of the title character—a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and...
", "Gulliver's travels
Gulliver's Travels
Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships, better known simply as Gulliver's Travels , is a novel by Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of...
", "The Vicar of Wakefield
The Vicar of Wakefield
The Vicar of Wakefield is a novel by Irish author Oliver Goldsmith. It was written in 1761 and 1762, and published in 1766, and was one of the most popular and widely read 18th-century novels among Victorians...
" and others. The great French artist Gustave Doré
Gustave Doré
Paul Gustave Doré was a French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor. Doré worked primarily with wood engraving and steel engraving.-Biography:...
provided illustrations for Dante's "Inferno
Inferno (Dante)
Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through what is largely the medieval concept of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as...
" (1861), "Don Quixote", and a special edition of the Holy Bible. The company's premises at La Belle Sauvage yard also gained the distinction of a visit from the French Emperor Napoleon III himself, as it was publishing the English edition of his book, "The History of Julius Caesar".
Cassell played an important part in lobbying government to reduce the burden of taxation on paper and periodical publications - the "tax on knowledge" as it was called - and his endeavours in the 1850s helped to repeal Newspaper Advertisement Duty, Newspaper Stamp Duty and Paper Duty (the latter in 1861).
Final years
In his final years Cassell, seeing the business opportunities being opened up by the development of artificial light, set up an oil distillation works at HanwellHanwell
Hanwell is a town situated in the London Borough of Ealing in west London, between Ealing and Southall. The motto of Hanwell Urban District Council was Nec Aspera Terrent...
. Despite his efforts the venture came to nothing and, though no serious financial loss was sustained, the project was a great drain on his time and energy.
Cassell died, aged only 48, of an internal tumour, on 2 April 1865 at his home at 25 Avenue Road, Regents Park, London - the same day as his friend Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden was a British manufacturer and Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with John Bright in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League as well as with the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty...
- and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
. He was survived by his widow Mary, who died in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
on 6 July 1885. He also left a daughter, Sophia (d. 1912). The company, "Cassell, Petter & Galpin", which at the time of his death, employed 500 people, continued to prosper under the management of the remaining partners, Petter and Galpin.
External links
- Cassell Books and periodicals to read online (Out of copyright facsimiles at archive.org)
- Chronology of Cassell & Co. publications ("Books and writers")