The frontispiece of The Gentle Shepherd, a pastoral comedy.
This collection of some 200 titles represents about one third of the total output of this celebrated 18th century Glasgow press, which was founded by the brothers Robert Foulis (1707-76) and Andrew Foulis (1712-75).
In 1741 Robert opened a bookshop at Glasgow University and from 1742 began to publish books at his own press, being appointed as University Printer in 1743. With his brother in partnership, the firm acquired an international reputation for their high quality editions of the classics, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey (1756-58).
They also published ordinary editions of both classical and modern authors, bringing the works and values of the Enlightenment within reach of the ordinary citizen. Many titles were scholarly, and although some were produced as collectors' items (such as miniatures), they were all carefully edited, neatly formatted on good paper and excellent value. In particular, Foulis set a new standard of title-page layout, replacing a contemporary vogue for unhelpful clutter with classical simplicity and elegance.