Leiden University Libraries Digital Collections

Bohn Correspondence

Archives of the publishers De Erven F. Bohn, Haarlem

BOH C 159

Bohn Correspondence

This collection is described in Collection guide De Erven F. Bohn (ubl012).

On November 8, 1752, Christoph Henrich Bohn from Lübeck took over the book- and printing shop from Izaak van de Vinne, after which he settled in Haarlem as an independent bookseller. In 1781 Bohn’s son, François, joined the management of the company, and the name was subsequently changed to "C.H. Bohn and Son". After the death of C.H. Bohn in 1784, François headed the company independently. François Bohn died in 1819 and all works published by him were auctioned on 10 July 1820. The entire fund was bought back by the heirs, and the only son, Pieter François Bohn, took over the business. The heirs remained the owner of the fund and from that moment on the company was called "De Erven François Bohn". The company eventually merged into the publishing house Bohn Stafleu Van Loghum, under the umbrella of Wolters Kluwer.
After it became known that De Erven F. Bohn would leave Haarlem, the future of the company’s historical archives (which includes a copy of all books published) had become uncertain. That is why the archives - after consultation between representatives of the publisher and the University Library - was transferred to Leiden University Library in 1973.