Isbister, William

William Isbister was a British publisher. In 1858, he partnered with Alexander Stuart Strahan to found the publishing firm of Strahan & Co., which moved from Edinburgh to London in 1862. In its early years the company specialized in devotional works, illustrated literature for children, and inexpensive reprints of American ns2:titles. After moving to London, the firm also published fiction, poetry, and essays by popular authors of the day. The firm also established several important periodicals, including Good Words (founded in 1859 under the editorship of Norman Macleod), the Sunday Magazine (1864), and the Argosy (1865), which were notable for the high quality of the woodcuts. Due to financial difficulties, in 1872 Strahan was forced to resign from the company. In 1874 the name of the original firm was changed to W. Isbister & Co. In 1905, Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons acquired the Isbister publishing business.

From the guide to the William Isbister Collection, circa 1860-1906, (Princeton University. Library. Dept. of Rare Books and Special Collections)

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