#chap-men

One of the key factors in democratizing the joy of reading was the emergence of the chapbook, small, loosely bound pamphlet-like books, which were sold for a penny or less, expensive but still within the reach of the labourer’s purse. Chapbooks took their name from itinerant peddlers known as “chap-men” who carried and sold printed matter hot from the city presses to the eager rural masses. Often…