Towards a professional identity: Translators in the Victorian publisher’s archive

This essay situates itself at the intersection of book history and translation studies, inquires how archive, in this instance, those British publishers, can help us chart development professional literary translator nineteenth century. A key period print culture, during which many cultural, technological social shifts occurred, Victorian era saw rise profession, relevance impact on be even better understood light developments publishing practices. Using hitherto largely untapped primary sources uncovering a number significant processes translation, discussion offers fresh insights into production English-language translations nineteenth-century Britain. Drawing archival records Richard Bentley’s house, including translators’ correspondence contractual agreements that underpinned publication translations, study what may termed “proto-professionalization” translators