A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP Tel: +44(0)207 631 5600 fax: +44 (0)207 631 5800


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Our History

The publishing house of Adam and Charles Black was founded in 1807 when Adam Black opened his own bookshop shortly after his twenty-third birthday. Originally the company was based in Edinburgh where many booksellers were also publishers and all publishers were booksellers.

In June 1889 the company made the huge move from Scotland to London — taking up residence in 4,5,6 and 7 Soho Square, together known as the Soho Bazaar.
A&C Black is perhaps most famous for its publication of Who’s Who since 1897, although the backlist and continuing publication schedule proves the extensive and varied nature of the list. Encompassing books on sport, fitness and training; books on Visual Arts, glass, ceramics and printmaking; titles on all aspects of sailing and boating (Adlard Coles Nautical); books for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts (Christopher Helm) and of course a substantial reference list, A&C Black also publishes a wide range of children’s fiction and non-fiction books aimed to aid teachers and parents in the education of their children. A&C Black also incorporates Peter Collin Publishing, including subject dictionaries and language titles that are used by students, translators and professionals around the world.

Operating once more from Soho Square and now owned by Bloomsbury, A&C Black is as successful and forward-thinking as ever.

A&C Black is over 200 years old. Read about our history here.

The History of A&C Black Publishers



1807 — A & C Black opens in Edinburgh, funded by the 23 yr old Adam Black's £200 loan from a friend.

1827 — In one of the company's first acquisitions, Adam Black buys Encyclopaedia Britannica for £6,510.

1851 — Adam Black buys the copyright, stock and plant of Sir Walter Scott’s books. Like the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Scott purchase became an incredibly profitable part of the business.


1874 — Adam Black dies, leaving £15,000 to each of his nine children and a flourishing publishing business - an excellent return on that £200 loan.


1889 — London office opens in Soho Square.
 

 
1896 — The already eminent biographical collection Who's Who is put up for sale; Adam Black (grandson of the original Adam) wins it on a coin toss..
 

 
1897 —First ACB edition of Who's Who appears on 23rd March, priced 3/6.
 

 
1901 —The new century injects some colour into proceedings as ACB publishes War Impressions, a collection of battlefield sketches and portraits of British and Boer military leaders by Mortimer Menpes. A range of high-quality colour collectable picture books begins.
 

 

 
1906 — Writers and Artists' Yearbook and Black's Medical Dictionary published for the first time. WAYB has recently celebrated its centenary; Black's is thriving in its 41st edition (although adverts for Grossmith’s Prize Artificial Legs are sadly missed).
 
          
 
1910-20 — A time of diversification: Black’s publishes Birds of Britain, English Costume and The Royal Navy. Ornithology, theatre and the sea remain key parts of the publishing programme to this day.
 
      


     
 

 
1918-39 The company grows between the wars thanks to a boom in children's publishing, some unexpected successes and its efforts to capitalise on technical advances.

1927 — Black's Veterinary Dictionary first published; now in its 27th edition and covering thousands of animal ailments, including avian flu.

1939 — A pivotal moment: the board decides to strengthen their sales into the schools’ market by targeting primary as well as public and grammar schools. This decision turned out to be one of the most influential and far-reaching in the history of the company, and its consequence can clearly be seen today.

1953 — Publication of R.J. Unstead's Looking at History. The first children's history book to document the lives of ordinary people, it went on to sell millions of copies.
 
     

     
 
1961 — Publication of A&C Black's children's encyclopaedia which remained in print in numerous editions for the next fifteen years.

1965 — A&C Black becomes a publicly quoted company.

1966 — With Cheerful Voice, A&C Black's first children's songbook is published.

Mid 1960s — Children's list is responsible for two thirds of the company's turnover and begins to diversity into educational publishing. It will turn to music in the 1980s, with great success: the sales of Abracadabra Recorder reach over 1 million.

1970s — Okki-Tokki, Tarara Boomdeya and other well known bestselling songbooks published; most are in print and available in multi-media editions. The company moves from its combined office and warehouse in Soho Square. A new warehouse is planned and built at Eaton Socon. The editorial staff remain in London and move into 35 Bedford row, a Georgian townhouse in Holborn.

1980s — Ernest Benn children's picture books acquired. As schools' budgets are squeezed, Black's turns to children's fiction with its Jets series, which attracts outstanding authors such as Michael Morpurgo and Helen Cresswell.
 
     
 
 
1981 — A&C Black buys the stock of Pitman Books, which is to be the start of its now flourishing Visual Arts list.

1984 — Ernest Benn acquired, publisher of children's picture books and the travel series, Blue Guides. The purchase of E.P. Publishing dramatically boosts the size of the Sports list, and brings the popular Know The Game series to the company.
 
 

1987 — Purchase of Nautical  Publishing from Conway Maritime.

1988 — A&C Black takes on the selling and distribution of Magi books, then a small multilingual publisher for schools and libraries. This proves to be a long-standing and successful partnership; over the next ten years Magi grows into Little Tiger Press, a successful children's picture books publisher with a number of bestsellers.
 
 
1989 — Christopher Helm, the ornithology and natural history book publisher, is acquired by A&C Black and is to be the start of the current natural history and ornithology list. By 2000, this is the biggest ornithology list in Europe including the publication of ground breaking books such as The Handbook of Bird Identification and bestsellers such as Lars Johnson's Birds of Europe and The RSPB Handbook of British Birds. 

1990 — Adlard Coles list acquired to join Nautical Books, making ACB the biggest nautical publishers in the world.
 


 
1993 — Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition is published. This becomes a classic and leads to the development of a new fitness list for A&C Black.  

1995 — The Herbert Press and its high quality arts list join the Visual Arts department. A&C Black take on the sales and distribution of V&A Publishing. This partnership leads to a number of highly successful books, including Art Deco and Vivienne Westwood.
 
1998 — Who's Who celebrates its 150th birthday with a party at the National Gallery. Many of the well known people listed in the book are there; the editor and staff of Who's Who come to the party incognito. The first titles in the new Developing Literacy series are published. These photocopiable school books are the beginning of an important new line of educational books which become a core part of the children's list.

2000 — A&C Black is bought by Bloomsbury Plc and returns to Soho Square. The company keeps its distinctive identity as a wholly owned subsidiary of Bloomsbury. The Natural History list is joined by T&AD Poyser and Pica Press.

2001 — A&C Black's most famous yearbook, Who's Who, is transferred to an electronic database and goes online for the first time.

2002 — Whitaker's Almanack is acquired by A&C Black. Published since 1868, the UK's most authoritive and comprehensive reference work goes online for the first time. The Andrew Brodie list joins the company's educational books. Music Express is published: a breakthrough new music course for schools which is taken up by almost every primary school in the UK.

2004 — Nautical list acquires Nautical Data Ltd, publishers of the Reeds Nautical Almanac , a unique compendium of annually updated navigational and port information. The Ultimate Book Guide wins the Blue Peter Book Award. The Eaton Socon warehouse is sold to Macmillan Distribution who take over distribution for the company.

2005 — A&C Black takes over the Bloomsbury Reference and Business lists and becomes home to a range of bestselling titles such as the Bloomsbury English Dictionary and BUSINESS: The Ultimate Resource. Whitakers brand is extended to a new family reference yearbook Whitaker's World of Facts. The Children's Writers' and Artists' Yearbook is published for the first time. A&C Black take over the sales and distribution of Wisden, the famous cricket yearbook. Sales reach an all time record.

2006 — A&C Black becomes the UK's largest publisher of drama texts following its purchase of Methuen drama list, which includes authors such as Bertolt Brecht, Arthur Miller, Noel Coward, Michael Frayn and Willy Russell. A&C Black take on the sales and distribution of Guardian Books, and set up a joint publishing relationship with The Guardian.
 
2008 - In March 2008, A&C Black acquired Featherstone Education Limited. Founded in 1999 by husband and wife team, Phill and Sally Featherstone, Featherstone Education is the market leader in books for teachers and educators of 0-7 year olds, and is a perfect complement to A&C Black’s education list.
 

 
2008 — A&C Black acquired John Wisden & Co in December 2008, publishers of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, the most famous sports book in the world. The sale reunited Britain’s two most distinguished almanacks, Whitaker’s and Wisden. From 1938 to 1943, J Whitaker and Sons published Wisden, and during the war a member of the family, Haddon Whitaker, took over as editor.
 
 
2009 - A&C Black acquired The Arden Shakespeare in January, to fill a gap in the Methuen Drama list. The Arden Shakespeare is the most academically rigorous Shakespeare series in print, and the best-known English literature brand worldwide. Originally created by the British publishing firm of Methuen in the late nineteenth century, the acquisition makes Methuen Drama Europe’s largest performing arts list, and reunites the Methuen and Arden brands.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 



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A&C Black Publishers Ltd
Registered in England No. 189153
Registered Office: 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP
Tel: +44(0)207 631 5600 fax: +44 (0)207 631 5800
www.acblack.com

© A&C Black Publishers Ltd 2012


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