David Bryce and Son

David Bryce and Son was a Scottish publishing house, known as being one of the most prolific and successful makers of miniature books in the world.^[1] It was founded by David Bryce of Glasgow (1845-1923) in 1832.^[2] The company published over 40 titles, including the smallest English dictionary in the world,^[3] a famous edition of William Shakespeare's complete works,^[4] and a miniature Quran.^[5]

David Bryce got interested in book publishing around 1876. In regards to the publication of miniature books, he related the following:^[6]

Instead of developing works of a larger kind, I descended to the miniature, mite and midget size, producing a little dictionary, the smallest in the world, in a locket accompanied by a magnifying glass. I had many a scoff and jeer as to the absurdity of the production, nevertheless it at once appealed to Mr. Pearson of the notable weekly, who gave me a first order for 3,000 copies and its sales are now over 100,000. Other books followed successfully and latterly a complete Bible. As to the usefulness of such a book one of the commodores of the Castle Packet Lines told me it was the most useful book I had ever published. He constantly carries it in his pocket and reads it with ease with magnifying glass.

Few historical records document Bryce’s life and work; however, correspondence from his colleague Henry Frowde of Oxford University Press show that the two publishers collaborated on the production of miniature books for more than thirty years and participated in transnational networks of the book trade. ^[7]

Recognizing the commercial potential of religious publications, Bryce employed contemporary printing technologies to mass‑produce pocket‑sized facsimiles of sacred texts from various world religions, such as the Quran and the Bhagavad Gita, for distribution to a global market.^[7]

Bryce remained in control of his publishing house until 1913, when financial difficulties led to its acquisition by Gowans & Gray Ltd., a company with which he had shared premises since at least 1911.^[6]

In his autobiographical book Seven Pillars of Wisdom, British Army Colonel T. E. Lawrence mentions the Bryce's miniature Quran:^[8]

He told me later, in strict confidence, that thirteen years before he had bought an amulet Koran for one hundred and twenty pounds and had not since been wounded. Indeed, Death had avoided his face, and gone scurvily about killing brothers, sons and followers. The book was a Glasgow reproduction, costing eighteen pence; but Auda's deadliness did not let people laugh at his superstition.

Bryce adopted contemporary advancements in photolithography, a process utilizing electroplates for photo reduction, to diminish larger volumes to exceptionally compact dimensions.^[1]

He maintained close affiliations with printing houses linked to the University of Glasgow and the University of Oxford, contributing to the clarity and legibility of the published texts.^[1]

His collaboration with Oxford University Press proved particularly advantageous, as the press had acquired the process for manufacturing ultra-thin opaque sheets known as "India paper" in 1875, facilitating the production of highly condensed textblocks.^[1]

David Bryce published several sets dedicated to the actress Ellen Terry, the most famous of them is a 40 volumes edition of Shakespeare's works, accompanied by a swivelling bookcase made of oak. The edition includes the plays, the sonnets, a biographical sketch and a glossary. It was published in 1904.^[6]

David Bryce and Son has published over 40 miniature books from the 1880's until the early 1910s.^[9][10] As most editions are undated, the exact years of publication are uncertain.^[11]