A & C Black facts for kids

A & C Black is a British company that publishes books. Since 2002, it has been part of Bloomsbury Publishing. This company is famous for publishing important books like Who's Who (since 1849) and the Encyclopædia Britannica (from 1827 to 1903). They publish many different kinds of books, including exciting stories, factual books, travel guides, and science books.

The Story of A & C Black

A map of Africa from 1840, published by Adam and Charles Black.

The 1863 edition of Woodstock by Sir Walter Scott, published by A & C Black.

The company was started in 1807 by Charles and Adam Black in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1851, the company bought the rights to Sir Walter Scott's popular Waverly novels. This was a big deal for them. Later, in 1889, the company moved its main office to the Soho area of London.

Publishing the Encyclopædia Britannica

Between 1827 and 1903, A & C Black published the seventh, eighth, and ninth editions of the Encyclopædia Britannica. This huge encyclopedia was bought from another company that had problems publishing it. Adam Black retired in 1870 because he didn't agree with his sons' big plans for the ninth edition. However, this edition was very successful, selling half a million sets. It came out in 24 volumes between 1875 and 1889.

Other Famous Publications

Starting in 1839, the company published a series of travel guides called Black's Guides. These guides helped people explore new places.

A & C Black also published the yearly Who's Who since 1849. This book lists important people and their achievements. Since 2002, they have also published Whitaker's Almanack, another well-known yearly reference book. Other important books include Black's Medical Dictionary and the "Know The Game" series, which explains rules for different sports.

The company also created the "A. & C. Black Colour Books: Twenty Shilling Series" from 1901 to 1921. These were beautiful picture books with high-quality colors that many book collectors still enjoy today.

In 1902, they published The Pothunters, the first book by the famous author P. G. Wodehouse. They went on to publish many of his early works.

Growth and Acquisitions

A & C Black grew by buying other publishing companies. In 1989, they bought Christopher Helm Publishers and Pica Press, which published the Helm Identification Guides for birdwatchers.

In 2000, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc bought A & C Black. Bloomsbury continued to publish A & C Black's many reference books. In 2002, they also bought T. & A. D. Poyser, adding about 70 books about birds to their collection.

Later, in 2006, A & C Black bought Methuen Drama, which publishes plays. In 2008, they acquired Arden Shakespeare, known for its editions of Shakespeare's plays.

In 2016, the music books from A & C Black moved to Collins Learning, which is part of HarperCollins Publishers.

Popular Books from A & C Black

World maps from A & C Black's 1854 General Atlas Of The World.

Here are some of the well-known books published by A & C Black:

• Black's Medical Dictionary
• Whitaker's Almanack
• Who's Who
• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
• Writers' & Artists' Yearbook

Book Series Published

A & C Black published many different series of books over the years. Some of these include:

• Black's Atlas of North America, 1856
• Artist's Sketch Book Series
• Black's Guides
• Black's Junior Reference Books
• Black's Novel Library
• 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
• The Fascination of London
• How-and-Why Series
• Know the Game
• The Making of the Nations
• 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 (also known as Miscellaneous Peeps series)
• Social Life in England

Imprints (Other Publishing Names)

An imprint is like a brand name used by a publishing company. Here are some imprints that A & C Black owned or worked with:

• Adlard Coles Nautical
• Arden Shakespeare
• Andrew Brodie Publications
• Featherstone
• Methuen Drama
• T. & A. D. Poyser
• Reeds Almanac
• John Wisden & Co