Chapbook

A chapbook is an item of popular literature, as would have formed part of the stock of a chapman, peddler, or other itinerant trader. The term itself was coined by bibliophiles of the nineteenth century, and includes many kinds of printed material, such as pamphlets, political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, folk tales, and children's literature.

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By their nature these tended to be cheaply produced ephemera, often flimsy and badly printed. They are now valued as a record of popular culture, preserving cultural artifacts that may not survive in any other form. Many early collectors, such as Peter Opie, collected chapbooks for essentially scholarly purposes; political pamphlets were probably sought after first by historians.

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Chapbook is also a term currently used to denote low-cost hard copy production, particularly of poetry.

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Peddler: A peddler is someone who travels, selling goods to the general public for a living. A peddler may operate door to door, by foot, and/or at organized events such as a (trade-)fair or carnival, perhaps with a horse-drawn or motorized wagon. A peddler can also be known as a canvasser or a solicitor....

Bibliophile: REDIRECT Bibliophilia...

Nineteenth century: redirect 19th century...