Elsevier's history has two interesting chapters:
The Inspiration: The Elzevir Family (16th-18th Century)
The Elsevier name and logo are inspired by the Elzevir family, a prominent family of Dutch printers and publishers from the 16th to 18th centuries.Founded by Lodewijk Elzevir in Leiden around 1580, the Elzevir press was known for its innovative, compact book formats and high-quality printing.
They published a wide range of works, including classics, scholarly texts, and scientific works by Galileo Galilei (famously defying the Vatican ban).
The Modern Elsevier (1880-Present)
The modern Elsevier company was founded in 1880 by Jacob Georg Robbers, a Dutch bookseller with a passion for scholarly publishing.Robbers adopted the Elzevir name and logo, inspired by their legacy of excellence.Initially focusing on classics, Elsevier gradually shifted towards scientific and academic publications in the 20th century.
Key milestones include:
1) Establishing international offices in London and New York.
2) Publishing its first English-language journal in 1947.
3) Pioneering the use of databases for journal production in the 1970s.
4) Growing through mergers and acquisitions to become a leading scientific publisher.
There's some debate about the direct connection between the two entities, but Elsevier clearly honors the Elzevir legacy.
