William Blades

William Blades (1824 to 1890) was an English printer and bibliographer, who was born in London. In 1840, he began to learn his father's printing business in London, and later entered into a partnership that became known as Blades, East & Blades. He studied the volumes published by William Caxton, the pioneer of early printing in England, and published this in 1861-1863. Some 450 volumes from Caxton Press were carefully compared and classified in chronological order by examination of wear and tear of the type. After his death, Blades's library was acquired by the Foundation of the Holy Bride as the library's original collection.