Learning the Trade at the Plantin Press

A groundbreaking study reveals that the succession of leadership at the seventeenth-century Plantin Press in Antwerp was shaped by experiential knowledge transfer within the family, rather than traditional guild-regulated apprenticeships. By analyzing the rich Plantin-Moretus Archives, researchers traced the multifaceted training of Balthasar Moretus III, which combined formal education with workplace learning. This included observational duties in the printing workshop and progressive responsibilities in correspondence, accounting, wage administration, and cash management. The study also highlights how social refinement was strategically integrated with business training to prepare heirs for leadership in an internationally oriented book trade.

Selleslach, K. (2026). Learning the Trade at the Plantin Press. Quærendo, 56(3), 195–217. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700690-bja10049