The firm known, after 1890, as Blackie & Son Ltd was founded on 20 November 1809 by John Blackie, snr, ( 1782-1874 ) in partnership with two friends, Archibald Fullerton and William Somerville and was known as Blackie, Fullerton & Co. ... During the nineteenth century, the company developed along two main lines concerned, on the one hand, with bookselling and publishing in the subscriptions business and, on the other, with printing and book production ... After 1870 titles carried included a number of basic English and Latin grammars, mathematical primers and, from 1881, a whole series of children's stories designed initially as school prizes and published under the title of 'Reward Books'.
During the early years of the twentieth century, overseas subsidiary companies were set up: Blackie & Son (India) Ltd, in 1927 ; Blackie & Son (Canada) Ltd; and Blackie & Son (Australasia) Ltd, in 1926 . Blackie & Son Ltd , ceased publishing in 1991 . Academic and professional titles were acquired by Blackie Academic & Professional (an imprint of Chapman & Hall). School titles were acquired by Nelson (Thomas) & Sons Ltd. Children's titles were acquired by Blackie's Children's Books.
Adapted from the Archives Hub listing of the company's papers: http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/news/blackie.html
Sighted: 06/01/2005
