Abraham Elzevir (4 April 1592 — 14 August 1652) was a Dutch printer. Elzevir was born and died in Leiden. He inherited the House of Elzevir from his grandfather Louis Elzevir and his uncle Bonaventure Elzevir. In its best years it was reputedly the greatest publishing business in the world, with filials in numerous European cities. Abraham and Bonaventure launched a bestselling series of books called the Republics. Published in Latin between 1626 and 1629, each work in the series gave information on the geography, inhabitants, economy, and history of a particular country in Europe, Asia, Africa, or the Near East. The Republics are often considered the forerunner to the modern travel guide. References External links 1592 births 1652 deaths Printers from the Dutch Republic People from Leiden 17th-century printers 17th-century Dutch businesspeople