Blackie and Son Limited
Encyclopedia
Blackie and Son Limited was a publishing house in Glasgow
, Scotland
and in London
, England
, from 1890 to 1991.
The firm was founded in 1809 by John Blackie, snr. (1782-1874) as a partnership with two others and was originally known as 'Blackie, Fullerton and Company'. It began printing in 1819 and was renamed 'Blackie and Son' in 1831, becoming a public limited company in 1890. The business had quarters at 16/18 William IV Street, Charing Cross, London and 17 Stanhope Street, Glasgow, Scotland, and opened offices in both Canada
and India
. The company ceased publishing in 1991.
Blackie and Son initially published books sold by subscription, including religious texts and reference books. Later the firm published single volumes, particularly educational texts and children's books, taking advantage of compulsory education from 1870.
Notable books from The Kennett Library, a graded series of classics retold for schools, include: Kidnapped
, Little Women
, Westward Ho!
, The Black Arrow
, Wuthering Heights
and Ben-Hur. The firm published the many Flower Fairy books of Cicely Mary Barker
beginning in 1923.
In 1902, Walter Blackie commissioned the building of a new house on a plot at Helensburgh
to the West of Glasgow. At the invitation of their illustrator Talwin Morris
, the architect was his friend Charles Rennie Mackintosh
. This house became Hill House, regarded as one of Mackintosh's finest works.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, from 1890 to 1991.
The firm was founded in 1809 by John Blackie, snr. (1782-1874) as a partnership with two others and was originally known as 'Blackie, Fullerton and Company'. It began printing in 1819 and was renamed 'Blackie and Son' in 1831, becoming a public limited company in 1890. The business had quarters at 16/18 William IV Street, Charing Cross, London and 17 Stanhope Street, Glasgow, Scotland, and opened offices in both Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The company ceased publishing in 1991.
Blackie and Son initially published books sold by subscription, including religious texts and reference books. Later the firm published single volumes, particularly educational texts and children's books, taking advantage of compulsory education from 1870.
Notable books from The Kennett Library, a graded series of classics retold for schools, include: Kidnapped
Kidnapped (novel)
Kidnapped is a historical fiction adventure novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Written as a "boys' novel" and first published in the magazine Young Folks from May to July 1886, the novel has attracted the praise and admiration of writers as diverse as Henry James, Jorge Luis...
, Little Women
Little Women
Little Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott . The book was written and set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts. It was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869...
, Westward Ho!
Westward Ho!
Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford and Bude...
, The Black Arrow
The Black Arrow
The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses is an 1888 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is both an historical adventure novel and a romance. It first appeared as a serial in 1883 with the subtitle "A Tale of Tunstall Forest" beginning in Young Folks; A Boys' and Girls' Paper of Instructive and...
, Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë published in 1847. It was her only novel and written between December 1845 and July 1846. It remained unpublished until July 1847 and was not printed until December after the success of her sister Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre...
and Ben-Hur. The firm published the many Flower Fairy books of Cicely Mary Barker
Cicely Mary Barker
Cicely Mary Barker was an English illustrator best known for a series of fantasy illustrations depicting fairies and flowers. Barker's art education began in girlhood with correspondence courses and instruction at the Croydon School of Art...
beginning in 1923.
In 1902, Walter Blackie commissioned the building of a new house on a plot at Helensburgh
Helensburgh
Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....
to the West of Glasgow. At the invitation of their illustrator Talwin Morris
Talwin Morris
Talwin Morris was a leading illustrator and book designer during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was a business acquaintance of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.His mother died in childbirth....
, the architect was his friend Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, watercolourist and artist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. He had a considerable influence on European design...
. This house became Hill House, regarded as one of Mackintosh's finest works.
See also
- Beautiful EnglandBeautiful England"Beautiful England" was the title of a series of short, illustrated travel/guide books first published in Britain by Blackie & Son around 1910 and continuing in print until the 1950s...
(travel books) - Talwin MorrisTalwin MorrisTalwin Morris was a leading illustrator and book designer during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was a business acquaintance of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.His mother died in childbirth....
- UK children's book publishersUK children's book publishersList of UK children's book publishers.For UK children's authors, see Children's non-fiction authors.-B:* Barefoot Books* Barrington Stoke* Blackie and Son Limited* Bloomsbury Publishing* Book House* The Bodley Head* Buster Books-H:* Hamish Hamilton...