James Harper (publisher)
James Harper , was an American publisher and politician in the earlytomid 19th century. James was the eldest of four sons born to Joseph Henry Harper, , a farmer, carpenter, and storekeeper, and Elizabeth Kolyer, daughter of Jacobus Kolyer and Jane Miller.
Harper was born in Newtown, New York. As a boy, he read The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, and decided that he would like to pursue a career as a printer because of Franklins success in the field. An apprenticeship was subsequently arranged with a family friend, Abraham Paul, who was a partner in the New York printshop of Paul amp Thomas. James younger brother John began his printing apprenticeship at another printer in the city within two years. In 1817 the two brothers had learned what they could of the profession and felt that they were ready to try their hand at running their own printing business. In 1817 the brothers founded J. amp J. Harper in New York at the corner of Dover and Front streets James was nearlyyears old and John was 20. The business was supported by a loan from their father to purchase two Rampage printing presses, some typesetting stock, and simple binding equipment.
Source: Wikipedia