History of Text Technologies

Chapbooks emerged as a result of the democratization of printing technology. As presses and paper became more readily available, it became possible for small booklets to be sold for a penny or less, making them affordable for laborers. Chapbooks first emerged in France at the end of the 15th century and spread widely through Western Europe and North America in the 16th century. They were usually written anonymously and focused on crude or otherwise eye-catching themes to draw in new readers. Early chapbooks frequently took the form of folk songs, making them able to be publicly performed to draw in customers or engage those who could not read. They would be sold by peddlers called chapmen. Chapbooks continued to be popular until the early 19th century, when they were gradually replaced by inexpensive magazines.