Willem Lesteens
Guiliam or Willem Lesteens (1590–1661), Latinized Gulielmus Lesteenius, was a printer and publisher in the city of Antwerp, in the Spanish Netherlands.
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Life
Lesteens was born in Antwerp on 19 April 1590, the son of Gaspard Lesteens and Catherine Jauwens.[1] In 1612 he married Maria Verdussen, the eldest daughter of his godfather, Hieronymus Verdussen, and set up in business as an independent printer.[2] His shop in the Hoogstraat bore the sign of the Gulden Pelicaen (Golden pelican).[3] His printer's mark was a pelican with spread wings feeding its young; in later versions flanked by horns of plenty.
He shared the privilege of printing decrees on coinage with his brother-in-law, Hieronymus Verdussen the Younger, from 26 June 1625 until Verdussen's death in 1653.[4]
In 1641 he served a term as dean of De Olijftak, a chamber of rhetoric, and in 1642–1644 two terms as dean of the Guild of St Luke.[5] In the 1640s he was also the leading figure in an association of Antwerp printers (sociorum typographum Antverpiensium) that clubbed together to share the costs (and risks) of producing expensive editions.[6]
In 1650 Lesteens' daughter, Claire, married Engelbert Gymnicus. After Lesteens' death in 1661, Gymnicus took over the running of the family business in 1662.
Publications
- 1617
- Robert Bellarmine, Opclimminghe des gheests tot Godt door de leeder der creatueren, translated by Nicolaus Burenus (available on Google Books)
- 1618
- Fulvio Androzzi, Onderwys oft practycke om dikwils het H. Sacrament des Autaers profytelyck te nutten, translated by Nicolaus Burenus
- Martinus Becanus, Verschillen oft verscheijden titels der Calvinisten, translated by Nicolaus Burenus (available on Google Books)
- 1619
- Ovid, Metamorphosis dat is: die Herscheppinghe oft Veranderinghe, translated by Joannes Florianus – an illustrated Dutch Metamorphoses (available on Google Books)
- Francisco Arias, Van de tegenwoordigheid Gods, translated by Nicolaus Burenus
- 1620
- Luca Pinelli, De cracht ende Misterie der H. Misse, translated by Nicolaus Burenus
- Robert Bellarmine, De conste om wel te sterven, translated by Jacobus Stratius (available on Google Books)
- 1622
- Benet Canfield, Den reghel der volmaeckheyt (available on Google Books; 2nd edition 1623 available on Google Books; 3rd edition 1631 available on Google Books)
- Jan Van Coudenberghe, Onse L. Vrovwe der seven vveeen. Met de mirakelen, getyden, ende misse der selver: insgelycks den oorspronck, ende voortganck der broederschap, translated by Jacobus Stratius (available on Google Books)
- Richard Verstegan, Scherp-sinnighe characteren. Oft subtijle beschrijvinghe (available on Google Books)
- 1626
- Heyman Jacobs, Den cleynen herbarius, ofte Cruydt-boecxken (available on Google Books)
- 1628
- Joannes Busaeus, Den schadt der meditatien op allen de Evangelien vande Sondaghen ende Heylighe-daghen vanden gheheelen Jaere, translated by Cornelius Thielmans (available on Google Books)
- 1631
- Pierre Marchant, Expositio litteralis in Regulam S. Francisci – an exposition of the Rule of St Francis
- 1635
- Gratulatio in inaugurationem ... Gasparis Nemii, episcopi Antverpiensis – a celebration of the consecration of Gaspard Nemius as bishop of Antwerp (available on Google Books)
- 1636
- Aubert Miraeus, Rerum Belgicarum Chronicon ab Julii Caesaris in Galliam adventu usqve ad vulgarem Christi Annum M.DC.XXXVI (available on Google Books)
- 1639
- Luis de la Puente, Het leven van P. Balthazar Alvarez religieus der Societeyt Iesu, translated by Ludovicus Jacobus (available on Google Books)
- 1644
- François-Hyacinthe Choquet, De heylighen ende salighe in Nederlandt van het Oorden der Predick-heeren, translated by Léonard Janssen-Boy – a hagiography of Dominican saints from the Low Countries (available on Google Books)
- 1651
- Joannes van Heumen, Den sterfelycken Adam, leerende de maniere van saligh te sterven (available on Google Books)
- Simon De Coninck, Ontdeckten leughen-geest van alle af-ghedwaelde leeraers (available on Google Books)
- 1654
- with Engelbert Gymnicus: Alan of Lille, Alani magni de Insulis, Doctoris Universalis, Opera Moralia, Paraenetica et Polemica, edited by Charles de Visch (available on Internet Archive)
- 1656
- with Engelbert Gymnicus: Massaeus Potvliet, Soete bemerckinghen op het Synode der Ghereformeerde ghehouden binnen Dordrecht inde Iaren 1618 ende 1619 (available on Google Books)
References
- Fernand Donnet, Het jonstich versaem der Violieren: geschiedenis der rederijkkamer De Olijftak sedert 1480 (Antwerp, 1907), p. 240.
- Stijn Van Rossem, Het gevecht met de boeken. De uitgeversstrategieën van de familie Verdussen (1589-1689) (doctoral dissertation, Antwerp, 2014), pp. 44-45.
- Stijn Van Rossem, Het gevecht met de boeken. De uitgeversstrategieën van de familie Verdussen (1589-1689) (doctoral dissertation, Antwerp, 2014), p. 40
- Stijn Van Rossem, Het gevecht met de boeken. De uitgeversstrategieën van de familie Verdussen (1589-1689) (doctoral dissertation, Antwerp, 2014), pp. 33, 46.
- Fernand Donnet, Het jonstich versaem der Violieren: geschiedenis der rederijkkamer De Olijftak sedert 1480 (Antwerp, 1907), p. 240.
- Stijn Van Rossem, Het gevecht met de boeken. De uitgeversstrategieën van de familie Verdussen (1589-1689) (doctoral dissertation, Antwerp, 2014), p. 45.