author

John Camden Hotten

1832–1873

A lively and sometimes controversial figure in Victorian publishing, this London bookseller helped shape the literary marketplace with bold tastes and a sharp eye for what readers wanted. He is especially remembered for his work as a publisher, bibliophile, and compiler of slang.

3 Audiobooks

The History of Signboards, from the Earliest times to the Present Day

The History of Signboards, from the Earliest times to the Present Day

by Jacob Larwood, John Camden Hotten

A Dictionary of Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words Used at the Present Day in the Streets of London; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the Houses of Parliament; the Dens of St. Giles; and the Palaces of St. James.

A Dictionary of Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words Used at the Present Day in the Streets of London; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the Houses of Parliament; the Dens of St. Giles; and the Palaces of St. James.

by John Camden Hotten

The slang dictionary : Etymological, historical and anecdotal

The slang dictionary : Etymological, historical and anecdotal

by John Camden Hotten

About the author

Born in London in 1832, John Camden Hotten built a reputation as an energetic bookseller, publisher, and man of letters. Reliable biographical sources describe him as a bibliophile with wide-ranging interests, and he is also associated with writing and reference works as well as publishing.

Hotten became known for issuing unusual, provocative, and commercially savvy books in mid-Victorian England. Sources consistently note both his interest in slang and popular language—most famously through A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words—and his willingness to publish material considered risky or controversial for the time.

He died in 1873, but his influence carried on through the publishing house connected with his business, which later became associated with Chatto & Windus. No suitable verified portrait image was found from the sources reviewed, so no profile image is included.