Cromberger, Juan, d. 1540

Jácome (Jacobo) Cromberger established a press in Seville in 1500. He later opened branches in Lisbon and Évora. In 1525, Cromberger wanted to go in person or send a representative to New Spain. However, he could not do so since the Spanish Crown prohibited foreigners from establishing and running a press in the Americas. Cromberger formally requested permission from the monarch to go to New Spain after Bishop Juan de Zumárraga and Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza asked him to establish a printing press there.

In 1537, Cromberger received royal permission to set up shop in New Spain and sent his son, Juan Cromberger. In June 1539, Juan Pablos signed a contract with Cromberger to serve as a compositor and administrator of the “House of Cromberger” in Mexico. That same year, Cromberger received a monopoly to print books for the bishops of New Spain. Although Juan Cromberger died in September 1540, printer Juan Pablos continued to identify imprints he produced as coming from the “House of Cromberger” until at least 1544.

Sources

Medina, José Toribio, Guillermo Feliú Cruz, and José Zamudio Zamora. Historia de la imprenta en los antiguos dominios españoles de América y Oceanía, v. 1. Santiago de Chile: Fondo Histórico y Bibliográfico José Toribio Medina, 1958. pp. 83-92.