Hocken Digital Collections

John McIndoe Limited : Records

Details

Reference NumberARC-0585CreatorJohn McIndoe LimitedDescriptionThis extensive collection contains a wide array of material relating to the publishing and printing activities of John McIndoe Limited. Most of the collection relates to the many literary projects undertaken by McIndoes and includes individual authors book files, administrative files relating to various matters including royalties, advertising and proposals and rejections, general business correspondence, financial records, photographs and artworks. The individual authors book files may contain manuscripts, proofs, corrections, production notes, correspondence, revisions, reviews, layout notes, publishing agreements, photographs, drawings, other illustrations and paste-ups. Some date ranges of the correspondence files are only approximate, as they came from a somewhat disassembled and possibly disordered system of inwards and outwards correspondence.
Only a small part of this collection is digitised and available through Digital Collections. Information about other items can be found on the Hākena catalogue, through the Library Catalogues link above.
History / BiographyThe firm of Cherrie and McIndoe, Printery and Bookbinders, situated in premises on Jetty Street, started in about 1893, when the first John McIndoe went into business with David Cherrie. In 1900 McIndoe set up on his own as John McIndoe, Printer and Bookbinder, soon moving to new premises in Vogel Street. John McIndoe's son, John Leslie McIndoe, took over the business in 1924, retiring in 1961, and in 1949 his grandson John Hector McIndoe joined the firm. The younger John's interests lay in art, literature and music, but he found an outlet for his creativity in book production.
After studying and experimenting with publishing techniques, John Hector established his publishing department in 1968, with Peter Stewart as editor. In that same year the firm was appointed publisher and distributor for the University of Otago Press, an arrangement which continued until early 1993. By 1970, the publishing department had published over twenty titles. During the first half of the 1970s books were produced with a predominantly local interest and John McIndoe Limited was very much thought of as a South Island publisher. In 1975, poet Brian Turner took over as editor, when Peter Stewart left to become editor of Dunedin's Evening Star. From this period Turner sought to publish books that would appeal to a wider audience and before long many McIndoe publications were featuring in the major National Book Awards, with about twelve to sixteen titles being published each year, including significant amounts of poetry and fiction. Authors and poets who were published through John McIndoe Ltd include Cilla McQueen, Vincent O' Sullivan, Hone Tuwhare, O.E. Middleton, Owen Marshall, Roderick Finlayson and Philip Temple, to name but a few, as well as historians such as Erik Olssen.
John McIndoe Limited built up a great deal of goodwill within the literary publishing community, because of their desire to publish books that contributed to New Zealand's heritage, even if their chances of making a profit were slim.
By 1985, Brian Turner had decided to turn to writing full-time and John Hector was ready to retire. Barbara Larson, a Canadian artist and Brian Turner's partner, took over the editor's job. During the 1980s the balance of quality literature and commercial money spinners stayed the same, as did the support McIndoes had given to the University of Otago Press and local groups wishing to publish their own works. However, burdens such as financial and distribution difficulties occurred, due to being located so far from the North Island markets and the upsurge in competition from newly established multi-national publishers based in Auckland. In 1992 the company was bought by Brendan and Bernadette Murphy and in about 1993, the company changed its name from John McIndoe Limited to McIndoe Publishers. In March 2002 Rogan Print merged with McIndoe Publishers to become Rogan McIndoe Print Limited. Rogan Print moved into the former McIndoe premises in Crawford Street following the merger. Rogan McIndoe Print Limited went into receivership in 2008.
Other writers to work in the editorial department at McIndoes include Bill Sewell and Iain Lonie.
(Notes from: MS-3247/476 and MS-3247/477).

Four men with horse and cart, Bernard Head's Mount Aspiring expedition

Depicts Or Relates To

SubjectsPrinters and printingPublishers and publishingBusiness enterprises - DunedinAuthorsPoetsEditorsLiterature

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John McIndoe Limited : Records

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