Sampson Low

Sampson Low (1797–1886) was a bookseller and publisher in London in the 19th century.

Born in London in November 1797, he was the son of Sampson Low, printer and publisher, of Berwick Street, Soho. He served a short apprenticeship with Lionel Booth, the proprietor of a circulating library, and spent a few years in the house of Longman & Co..

Low began his own business in 1819 at 42 Lamb's Conduit Street, as a bookseller and stationer, with a circulating library attached. His reading-room was the resort of many literary men, lawyers, and politicians.

In 1848 Low and his eldest son Sampson Jr. opened a publishing office at the corner of Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. In 1852 they moved to 47 (and later to 14) Ludgate Hill, where, with the aid of David Bogue, an American department was opened. In 1856 Mr. Edward Marston became a partner, and Bogue retired. The firm removed in 1867 to 188 Fleet Street, in 1887 to St. Dunstan's House, Fetter Lane, and subsequently to Paternoster Row. The firm issued works by authors such as William Black, William Henry Boulton, Julius Mendes Price, Nikolay Przhevalsky, Henry Morton Stanley, and Jules Verne. The business continued to 1964.

Until 1837 Bent's Literary Advertiser was the only trade journal connected with book-selling; at this period the publishers became dissatisfied with the manner in which it was conducted, and established a periodical of their own called The Publishers' Circular, and entrusted the management to Low. The first number appeared on 2 October 1837. The manager gradually introduced many changes and improvements, and in 1867 the Circular became Low's sole property. The periodical, which was published fortnightly, supplied a list of new books, and from these lists an annual catalogue was made up, the first appearing in 1839. Upon these annual catalogues Low based his British Catalogue, the first volume of which, containing titles under authors' names of all books issued between 1837 and 1852, was published in 1853. It was continued as the English Catalogue, of which vol. i. (1835–63) appeared in 1864; vol. ii. (1863–72) in 1873; vol. iii. (1872–1880) in 1882. Subject indexes were issued in 1858, covering from 1837 to 1857; and in 1876 (covering from 1856 to 1876).

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