The publishing house Strahan and Company was founded in Edinburgh in 1858 by Alexander Strahan and William Isbister, largely as a publisher of devotional works. In 1862 the firm moved to London, and expanded into general and literary book publishing, signing Tennyson as an author and publishing some successful secular novels, and books for children.
A Christian publisher with a mission to provide good, moral and inexpensive literature to 'the people', Strahan established a number of innovative periodicals, the best known being the Contemporary Review, begun in 1866, which in its long history was to publish work by many leading literary figures. The firm over-extended itself financially, and in 1872 was taken over by creditors, printer James Sprent Virtue, and stationer Thomas Spalding, who installed William Isbister as manager and named the business W. Isbister and Company. In subsequent years this business, a subsidiary of J. S. Virtue, was named Daldy, Isbister and Company Limited, and William Isbister Limited. This company was ultimately purchased by Isaac Pitman and Sons, in 1904.
In the meantime William Strahan, who had retained some of his publishing rights, including some general publishing and magazines, began publishing in 1873 under the imprint 'Alexander Strahan'. When his ambitious publishing schemes once more brought him into debt, Strahan persuaded a group of evangelicals to form a new company, Strahan and Company Limited, and hire him as editorial director for his periodicals. This situation lasted until 1882 when the company went bankrupt. Strahan resumed publishing under the imprint Alexander Strahan until around 1893, mainly issuing reprints of works from his former lists.
