Amalgamated Press

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Amalgamated Press
StatusDefunct; absorbed into IPC in 1959
Founded1901
FounderAlfred Harmsworth
Defunct1959 Edit this on Wikidata
SuccessorInternational Publishing Company
Country of originEngland
Headquarters locationFleetway House
Publication typescomics, magazines, newspapers, paperbacks
ImprintsThe Educational Book Company
Fleetway Publications

The Amalgamated Press (AP) was a British newspaper and magazine publishing company founded by journalist and entrepreneur Alfred Harmsworth in 1901, gathering his many publishing ventures together under one banner.[1] At one point the largest publishing company in the world,[2] AP employed writers such as Arthur Mee and John Hammerton, and its subsidiary, the Educational Book Company, published The Harmsworth Self-Educator, The Children's Encyclopædia, and Harmsworth's Universal Encyclopaedia.

History

From 1912 Amalgamated Press was based at Fleetway House in Farringdon Street, London.[3]

In May 1949, AP acquired the publisher J. B. Allen, including their comics titles The Comet[4] and Sun, which they continued under the same names.

Acquisition by the Mirror Group/IPC

In 1959 the company was bought by the Mirror Group and renamed Fleetway Publications. In 1961, the Mirror Group acquired Odhams Press — which owned Longacre Press and George Newnes Ltd. The group was renamed the International Publishing Corporation in 1963,[5] although the component companies continued to use their own names until 1968 when they were reorganised into the unitary IPC Magazines. The "Fleetway" banner continued to be used for some publications until IPC's comics line was sold under the name Fleetway Publications to Robert Maxwell in 1987.[1]

Books

  • The Boy's Book of Everyday Science (1937), edited by Charles Ray
  • The Concise Household Encyclopedia (1932–1939) edited by J A Hammerton.
  • Everybody's Enquire Within, edited by Charles Ray, published in 55 weekly instalments from 1937–38.
  • The Great War: The Standard History of the All-Europe Conflict (1914-1919), edited by Wilson and Hammerton
  • "Wonders" — all edited by Clarence Winchester, and published by Amalgamated Press as weekly instalments, with a book binding service available to keep as two volumes for each series.[6][7]
    • Railway Wonders of the World, 50 installments (1935–36)[8]
    • Shipping Wonders of the World, 55 installments (1936–37)[9]
    • Wonders of World Engineering, 53 installments (1937–38)[10]
    • Wonders of World Aviation, 40 installments (1938)[11]
  • The World of Wonder: 10,000 Things Every Child Should Know (1933), edited by Charles Ray. Published in two volumes: Vol. One, pages 1 to 732; Vol. Two, pages 733 to 1460. An illustrated compendium of mainly about science and technology with some historical subjects.

Magazines

Comics and story papers

Amalgamated Press entered the comic magazine market in 1890 with Comic Cuts and Illustrated Chips.[1] Other notable comics titles published by Amalgamated Press included Film Fun, Funny Wonder, Knockout, Lion, Playhour Pictures, Radio Fun, School Friend, and Tiger.

The company also published serialized story papers like The Magnet and The Thriller, which published stories by Edwy Searles Brooks, as well as The Gem, School Friend, Schoolgirls' Own, and The Schoolgirl.

In 1959, AP was acquired by the Mirror Group to form the foundation of IPC Magazines (at that point called Fleetway Publications). AP titles that were continued by IPC/Fleetway included:

  • Confessions Library (1959 series)
  • Cowboy Picture Library (1950 series; originally known as Cowboy Comics)
  • Famous Romance Library (1956 series)
  • Film Fun (1920 series)
  • Girls' Crystal (1935 series)
  • Knockout (1939 series)
  • Lion (1952 series)
  • Marilyn (1955 series)
  • Playhour (1954 series)
  • Radio Fun (1938 series)
  • Roxy (1958 series)
  • School Friend (1950 series)
  • Super Detective Library (1953 series)
  • Tiger (1954 series)
  • Top Spot (1958 series)
  • TV Fun (1953 series)
  • Valentine (1957 series)

With the transition to Fleetway, the AP titles The Comet, Sun, and Tiny Tots were all merged into other AP titles: Tiger, Lion, and Playhour, respectively. Radio Fun was continued by Fleetway for a short time and then merged into Buster in 1960. Similarly, TV Fun was renamed TV Fan, continued for a short time, and then was merged into Valentine.

Rebellion Developments currently owns all comics characters and titles created by IPC's subsidiaries after 1 January 1970, together with 26 specified characters which appeared in Buster;[12][13] while IPC currently retains its other comics characters and titles, including Sexton Blake, The Steel Claw, and Battler Britton.[14]

Notable titles published

Main article: List of AP, Fleetway and IPC Comics publications
  • Bo-Peep and Little Boy Blue (245 issues, 1929–1934) — merged into Chicks' Own
  • Bubbles (1,024 issues, 16 April 1921–24 May 1941) — merged into Chicks' Own
  • Butterfly (1,862 issues, 1904–1940) — title is Butterfly and Firefly for 446 issues from 1917 to 1925
  • Chicks' Own (1,605 issues, 25 September 1920–9 March 1957) — also published 33 annuals from 1924 to 1957
  • The Comet (510 issues, 1949–1959) — merged into Tiger
  • Comic Cuts (3,006 issues, 17 May 1890–1953) — merged into Knockout
  • Comic Home Journal (488 issues, 1895–1904)
  • Crackers (615 issues, 1929–1941) — merged into Jingles
  • Famous Romance Library (171 issues, June 1956–1961)
  • Film Fun (2,222 issues, 17 January 1920–8 September 1962) — plus 23 annuals published from 1938 to 1961
  • Funny Wonder
    • 1st series (325 issues, 1893–1899)
    • 2nd series (109 issues, 1899–1901) — numbering continues with Wonder series 2
    • 3rd series (1,404 issues, 1914–1942) — numbering continues from Halfpenny Wonder (1914 series); numbering continues with Wonder series 4; also published 5 annuals from 1937 to 1942
  • Girls' Crystal (524 issues, 21 March 1953–1963) — numbering continues from Girls' Crystal story paper, launched in 1935; published 39 annuals published from 1939 to 1978
  • Illustrated Chips — merged into Film Fun
    • initial run (6 issues, 26 July 1890–1890)
    • main series (2,997 issues, September 6, 1890–1952) — merged into Film Fun
  • Jack and Jill (c. 1,640 issues, 27 February 1954–29 June 1985)
  • Jester
    • Jester and Wonder (506 issues, 1902–1912) — numbering continues from Wonder series 2
    • 1st series (465 issues, 1912–1924) — becomes Jolly Jester in 1920
    • 2nd series (847 issues, 1924–1940) — merged into Funny Wonder
  • Jingles (741 issues, 1934–29 May 1954) — merged into TV Fun
  • The Joker (655 issues, 1927–1940) — merged into Illustrated Chips
  • Kinema Comic (651 issues, 1920–1932) — merged into Film Fun
  • Knockout (1,240 issues, 4 March 1939–16 February 1963) — merged into IPC Magazines' Valiant; also published 16 "Fun Books" from 1941 to 1955, and 6 annuals from 1956 to 1961
  • Larks (656 issues, 1927–1940) — merged into Comic Cuts
  • Lion (389 issues, 23rd February 1952–1959; acquired by IPC and published for another 767 issues until 18 May 1974) — merged into IPC Magazines' Valiant
  • Love Romance (2 issues, 1950)
  • The Magnet (1683 issues, 1908–1940) — a story paper which merged into Knockout
  • Marilyn (549 issues, 19 March 1955–18 September 1965) — merged into Valentine
  • Merry and Bright the Favorite Comic (1,265 issues, 1910–1935) — titled simply Merry and Bright for 337 issues from 1910 to 31 March 1917
  • My Favourite (351 issues, 1928–1934) — merged into Sparkler
  • Playbox — published 48 annuals from 1909 to 1956
    • 1st series (2 issues, 1898)
    • 2nd series (105 issues, 1905–1913)
    • 3rd series (1,279 issues, 1925–1955) — merged with Jack and Jill
  • Playhour Pictures (31 issues, 16 October 1954–14 May 1955; becomes Playhour, publishing c. 1669 additional issues until 15 August 1987)
  • Playtime (550 issues, 1919–1929)
  • Puck (1,867 issues, 30 July 1904–1940) — merged into Sunbeam
  • Radio Fun (1018 issues, 1938–1959) — merged into IPC Magazines' Buster; also published 21 annuals from 1940 to 1960
  • The Rainbow (1,898 issues, February 14, 1914–April 28, 1956) — merged with Tiny Tots; also published 10 annuals from 1927 onward
  • Roxy (288 issues, 1958–14 September 1963) — merged into Valentine
  • School Friend (762 issues, May 20th, 1950–1965) — merged into IPC's June
  • Sun (517 issues, 1949–1959) — merged into Lion; was called Sun Comic for 122 issues from 1949 to March 22, 1952
  • Sunbeam (920 issues, 1922–1940)
  • Tiger (c. 261 issues, September 11, 1954–October 1959; acquired by IPC and continued for another c. 1,310 issues until 30 March 1985) — merged into IPC Magazines' Eagle
  • Tiger Tim's Weekly (1,087 issues, 1919–1940) — originally called Tiger Tim's Tales for 28 issues (1919–1920)
  • Tiny Tots (1,334 issues, 1927–1959) — merged into Playhour
  • Tip Top (727 issues, 1934–29 May 1954) — merged into TV Fun
  • TV Fun (312 issues, 19 September 1953–12 September 1959) – merged into Valentine; also published 4 annuals from 1957 to 1960
  • Valentine (919 issues, 19 January 1957–9 November 1974) — merged into Mirabelle (originally published by Pearson)
  • Wonder
    • 1st series (27 issues, 1892–1893)
    • 2nd series (49 issues, 1901–17 May 1902) — called Wonder and Jester for 2 issues, 10 May 1902 to 17 May 1902; numbering continues in Jester and Wonder
    • 3rd series (64 issues, 1913–1914)
    • 4th series (317 issues, 1942–1953) — numbering continues from Funny Wonder series 3

References

  1. ^ a b c AP/Fleetway: A Potted History, Kerschner & Taylor, retrieved 8 January 2012
  2. ^ Boyce, D. George (2004). Harmsworth, Alfred Charles William, Viscount Northcliffe (1865–1922). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press.
  3. ^ W. O. G. Lofts, "Fleetway House is no more," C.D. #375 (March 1978). [Archived at the Friardale website.
  4. ^ Clark, Alan. Dictionary of British Comic Artists, Writers and Editors (The British Library, 1998), pp. 2-3.
  5. ^ Press Office – IPC History, IPC Media, retrieved 28 June 2010 [dead link]
  6. ^ Clarke, John (2016). "Other Part Works Edited by Clarence Winchester". Railway Wonders of the World. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Resources for Winchester, Clarence (1892-)". Trove. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  8. ^ Railway Wonders of the World tribute website. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.
  9. ^ Shipping Wonders of the World tribute website. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Wonders of World Engineering tribute website. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.
  11. ^ Wonders of World Aviation tribute website. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.
  12. ^ Bunge, Nicole. "REBELLION ACQUIRES FLEETWAY AND IPC YOUTH GROUP ARCHIVES". ICv2. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  13. ^ Johnston, Rich. "Rebellion Buys Fleetway Archive – Roy Of The Rovers, Oink, Tammy, Battle, Whizzer And Chips And More". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  14. ^ Birmingham Mail article Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine

External links

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