{{Short description|British book publishing company}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use British English|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox publisher | name = A & C Black | image = | caption = | parent = Bloomsbury Publishing | status = | traded_as = | predecessor = | founded = {{start date and age|1807}} | founder = Adam Black and Charles Black | successor = | country = United Kingdom | headquarters = London | distribution = | keypeople = | publications = Books | topics = Reference | genre = | imprints = | revenue = | owner = | numemployees = | website = }} '''A & C Black''' is a British book publishing company, owned since 2002 by Bloomsbury Publishing. The company is noted for publishing ''Who's Who'' since 1849 and the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' between 1827 and 1903.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Ward |first=Arthur |title=A Guide to War Publications of the First & Second World War: From Training Guides to Propaganda Posters |publisher=Pen and Sword |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-78383-154-8 |location=Barnsley, UK |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last1=Duckett |first1=Robert John |title=Know it All, Find it Fast: An A-Z Source Guide for the Enquiry Desk |last2=Walker |first2=Peter |last3=Donnelly |first3=Christinea |publisher=Facet Publishing |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-85604-652-7 |edition=3rd |location=London |pages=77 |language=en}}</ref> It offers a wide variety of books in fiction and nonfiction, and has published popular travel guides, novels, and science books.
==History== [[File:Hall Africa 1840 UTA.jpg|thumb|Sidney Hall's 1840 map of Africa, published by Adam and Charles Black]] [[File:Frontispiece 1863 Woodstock-whole.png|thumb|Adam and Charles Black's 1863 edition of ''Woodstock'', by Sir Walter Scott (first publ. 1826)]]The firm was founded in 1807 by Charles and Adam Black in Edinburgh.<ref name=":0" /> In 1851, the company purchased the copyrights to Sir Walter Scott's ''Waverly'' novels for £27,000.<ref name=":0" /> The company moved to the Soho district of London in 1889.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Barton |first1=Susan |title=Travel and Tourism in Britain, 1700–1914 Vol 1 |last2=Brodie |first2=Allan |publisher=Routledge |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-84893-412-2 |location=Oxon |pages=25 |language=en}}</ref>
During the years 1827–1903 the firm published the seventh, eighth and ninth editions of the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. This was purchased from Archibald Constable after his company's failure to publish the seventh edition of the encyclopedia.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Finkelstein |first=David |title=Edinburgh History of the Book in Scotland, Volume 4: Professionalism and Diversity 1880-2000, Volume 4 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7486-1829-3 |location=Edinburgh |pages=347 |language=en}}</ref> Adam Black retired in 1870 due to his disapproval of his sons' extravagant plans for its ninth edition.<ref name=":1" /> This edition, however, would sell half a million sets and was released in 24 volumes from 1875 to 1889.<ref name=":1" />
Beginning in 1839, the firm published a series of travel guides known as ''Black's Guides''.
The company was the publisher of the annual ''Who's Who'' (since 1849<ref name=":2" />) and also, since 2002, the ''Whitaker's Almanack''. Other notable works include ''Black's Medical Dictionary'' and the ''Know The Game'' series of sports rules and laws reference books.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080528000840/http://www.knowthegame.co.uk/ Know The Game], archive.org. Retrieved 16 April 2017.</ref>
The firm also published the ''A. & C. Black Colour Books: Twenty Shilling Series'' (1901–21),<ref>[http://www.publishinghistory.com/blacks-guides-adam-and-charles-black.html A. & C. Black Colour Books: Twenty Shilling Series], publishinghistory.com. Retrieved on 16 April 2017.</ref> a "range of high-quality colour collectable picture books"<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090329073834/http://www.acblack.com/aboutus.asp?mscssid=G0W21CA2GX178GM6U4GPAUXJP4GEF73F The History of A&C Black Publishers], archive.org. Retrieved on 16 April 2017.</ref> which are still collected by bibliophiles.<ref>Cliff Tomaszewski, [https://stellabooks.com/featured-book/a-c-blacks-20-colour-books "A. & C. Black's 20/- Colour Books"], Stella and Rose's Books. Retrieved 16 April 2017.</ref>
In 1902 they published P. G. Wodehouse's first book, ''The Pothunters'', and went on to produce many of his early works.
In 1989 A & C Black purchased both Christopher Helm Publishers and later the Pica Press, publishers of the Helm Identification Guides, from Christopher Helm.<ref>[http://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/Watch/fob_search_results_next.cfm?FOBFirmName=C&locSTARTROW=91 FOB: Firms Out of Business], utexas.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2017.</ref>
In 2000 A & C Black was purchased by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, which continued producing the former's range of reference works.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/10/charles-black-obituary |title = Charles Black obituary {{!}} Publishing |work= The Guardian|date = 10 November 2013 |last1 = Gadsby |first1 = David }}</ref>
In June 2002, T. & A. D. Poyser and their back-list of around 70 ornithology titles were acquired from Elsevier Science.
A & C Black purchased Methuen Drama from Methuen Publishing in 2006, and acquired Arden Shakespeare from Cengage Learning in 2008.
In 2016, A & C Black Music list moved to Collins Learning, a division of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
==Notable books== thumb|World maps from A & C Black's 1854 ''General Atlas Of The World'' *''Black's Medical Dictionary'' *''Whitaker's Almanack'' *''Who's Who'' *''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' *''Writers' & Artists' Yearbook''
==Book series== * Black's Atlas of North America, 1856 * Artist's Sketch Book Series * Ballet Pocket Series (Newman Wolsey; then: A. & C. Black)<ref>[https://www.publishinghistory.com/ballet-pocket-series-a-and-c-black.html Ballet Pocket Series (Newman Wolsey Ltd; then: A. & C. Black) - Book Series List], publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 31 January 2020.</ref> * Black's Guides * Black's Junior Reference Books * Black's Novel Library<ref>[https://www.google.com.au/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=bibliogroup:%22Black%27s+novel+library%22&source=gbs_metadata_r&cad=2 bibliogroup:Black's Novel Library], Google Books. Retrieved 31 January 2020.</ref> * Black's Popular Series of Colour Books * Black's School History * Black's "Water-colour" series * Colour Books: The 7s. 6d. Net Series * Colour Books: The 6s. Net Series * Colour Books: The 10s. Net Series * Colour Books: The 20s. Net Series * Dancers of To-day * Ecclesiastical History of England (General Editor: J. C. Dickinson) * The Fascination of London<ref>Sir Walter Besant and G. E. Mitton, ''[https://archive.org/details/b21274307/page/n5/mode/2up The Fascination of London: Holburn and Bloomsbury]'', London: Adam & Charles Black, 1903 (The Fascination of London series), archive.org. Retrieved 31 January 2020.</ref> * Guild Text-books * How-and-Why Series * Know the Game * The Making of the Nations<ref>[https://www.publishinghistory.com/the-making-of-the-nations-a-and-c-black.html The Making of the Nations (A. & C. Black) – Book Series List], publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 31 January 2020.</ref> * Peeps at Ancient Civilisations * Peeps at Great Cities * Peeps at Great Explorers * Peeps at Great Men * Peeps at Great Railways * Peeps at History * Peeps at Industries * Peeps at Many Lands * Peeps at Nature * Peeps at Nature for Little Children * Peeps for Little People * The Peeps Series (sometimes called: Miscellaneous Peeps series) * Social Life in England
==Imprints== * Adlard Coles Nautical * Arden Shakespeare * Andrew Brodie Publications * Featherstone * Methuen Drama * T. & A. D. Poyser * Reeds Almanac * John Wisden & Co
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * Colin Inman, ''The A & C Black Colour Books: A Collector's Guide and Bibliography 1900-1930'', London: Werner Shaw, 1990.
==External links== {{commons category}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100115053202/http://acblack.com/ A&C Black] – archive.org copy of the site as it was on 15 January 2010. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090329073834/http://www.acblack.com/aboutus.asp?mscssid=G0W21CA2GX178GM6U4GPAUXJP4GEF73F History of A&C Black], acblack.com (archive.org copy). * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071011055736/http://www.bloomsbury-ir.co.uk/html/about/a_structure.html Bloomsbury Publishing corporate structure] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130722231642/http://bloomsbury-ir.co.uk/html/about/a_history.html Bloomsbury Publishing corporate history] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20051130234134/http://www.whitakersalmanack.com/whitakers.asp?page=home.asp Whitaker's Almanack] * [http://www.booksandwriters.co.uk/B/a--c-colour-books-black--twenty-shilling-series.html A & C Black Colour Books: Twenty Shilling Series] * [https://www.reading.ac.uk/special-collections/collections/sc-black.aspx Records of A. & C. Black Publishers Ltd], University of Reading * [https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/special-collections/2019/07/adam-charles-black-letterbooks/ Recovering Publishing Histories: the Adam & Charles Black Letterbooks]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, A and C}} Category:Encyclopædia Britannica Category:Ornithological publishing companies Category:Publishing companies established in 1807 Category:1807 establishments in Scotland Category:1889 establishments in England Category:Companies based in Edinburgh Category:History of Edinburgh Category:Companies based in the City of Westminster Category:Book publishing companies of Scotland Category:2002 mergers and acquisitions