John Lovell

Lovell, John

Lovell, John. Printer, publisher, b Bandon, County Cork, Ireland, 4 Aug 1810, d Montreal 1 Jul 1893. He arrived in Canada in 1820 and began his career as a printer in Montreal in 1835, concentrating on periodicals and newspapers. Lovell's company - known variously as Lovell & Gibson (1842-50, with a Toronto branch ca 1848-67), John Lovell (1850-75), Lovell Publishing and Printing (1875-9), then as John Lovell & Son, and in 1991 as Lovell Litho & Publications Inc - became known for its schoolbooks, gazetteers, and city directories.

Lovell's music publications, all typeset, were consistent with his high standards of workmanship. Though not the first to print music, he was the only publisher in his day to concentrate on Canadian compositions and to publish in periodical, book, and sheet music format, in both square and round notation. The earliest examples are found in the monthly Literary Garland (1838-51), and its 135 pieces contain compositions by the Canadians Joseph Maffré, Charles Sauvageau, W.H. Warren (its music editor and arranger), and others. At least 27 books and pamphlets known to include musical notation were published by Lovell in the second half of the 19th century. Among these are A Collection of Original Sacred Music (1848) by F.H. Andrews, Répertoire de l'organiste (1851) by J.-B. Labelle, Business Guide to the City of Montreal with a Collection of Popular Songs (1860), and Tsiatak nihonon8entsiak... Le livre des sept nations, ou Paroissien iroquois (1865).

Lovell also published, or printed for other publishers, at least 25 pieces of sheet music. His issue of Lehmann's Merry Bells of England (1840) is one of the two earliest-known Canadian examples of the genre. Other composers published between 1840 and 1862 include J.-C. Brauneis fils, Guillaume Fleury d'Eschambault, Ernest Gagnon, Octave Peltier (Pelletier), and Charles Wugk Sabatier. Lovell's music publishing had slowed by 1870 and ceased after 1893.