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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
Key peopleArthur Mee, John Alexander Hammerton, Hugo Tyerman, Henry St. John Cooper, Charles Ray, Leonard Matthews, Frank S. Pepper, Freddie Adkins, Alex Akerbladh, John Jukes, Frank Minnitt, Herbert Allingham
Publication typesstory papers, comics, magazines, paperbacks
ImprintsThe Educational Book Company

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, John Alexander Hammerton, and Charles Hamilton, and its subsidiary, the Educational Book Company, published The Harmsworth Self-Educator, The Children's Encyclopædia, and Harmsworth's Universal Encyclopaedia.

History

Amalgamated Press entered the comic magazine market in 1890 with Comic Cuts and Illustrated Chips.[1] Other notable pre-War humourous comics titles published by AP included Film Fun, Funny Wonder, Knockout, and Radio Fun.

Also in 1890, AP began publishing periodicals to challenge and compete with the penny dreadfuls popular among British youth. Priced at one half-penny, Harmsworth's story papers were cheaper and, at least initially, were more respectable than the competition. Harmsworth claimed to be motivated by a wish to challenge the pernicious influence of penny dreadfuls. AP's Halfpenny Marvel, launched in 1893, was soon followed by a number of other Harmsworth half-penny periodicals, such as The Union Jack (1894–1933) and Pluck. At first the stories were high-minded moral tales, reportedly based on true experiences, but it was not long before these papers started using the same kind of material as the publications they competed against.[3] The quality of the AP papers began to improve throughout the early 20th century, however. By the time of the First World War, papers such as Union Jack dominated the market in the UK.[a]

The company also published serialized boys' story papers like The Boys' Friend (1895–1927), The Gem (1907–1939), The Champion (1922–1955), The Magnet (1908–1940), and The Thriller (1929–1937), the latter two of which published stories by Edwy Searles Brooks; as well as girls' story papers like School Friend (1919–1929), Schoolgirls' Own (1921–1936), and The Schoolgirl (1922–1923; 1929–1940).

Harmsworth founded the woman's magazine Home Chat (1895–1959) to compete with C. Arthur Pearson's Home Notes.

AP's My Magazine was published from 1908 to 1933 with different names; it had articles on science, technology, geography, and current events.

From 1912 Amalgamated Press was based at Fleetway House in Farringdon Street, London.[4]

Amalgamated Press acquired the assets of James Henderson & Sons Ltd in 1920.[5]

Amalgamated Press was sold to new owners in 1926[6] (founder Harmsworth had died in 1922).

Editor Leonard Matthews (1914–1997), who joined AP in 1939, was a leading figure in the company's comics titles, eventually becoming Manager Editor. The onset of World War II, in the years 1940–1942, brought the merger and cancellation of a number of long-running AP comics titles, including Butterfly and Puck (both launched in 1904), Jester (launched in 1912), Tiger Tim's Weekly (1919), Sunbeam (1922), The Joker (1927), Larks (1927), Bubbles (1921), Chicks' Own (1929), and Funny Wonder series 3 (dating back to 1914).

In May 1949, AP acquired the publisher J. B. Allen, including their comics titles The Comet[7] and Sun, which they continued under the same names. AP launched a number of notable comics in the 1950s, including School Friend (launched in 1950; considered the first girls' comic), Lion (1952), Tiger (1954), and Playhour (1954).

Another round of mergers and cancellations of long-running AP comics titles occurred in the years 1952–1957, including Illustrated Chips and Comic Cuts (both launched in 1890), Jingles (1934), Tip Top (1934), Playbox (1925), The Rainbow (1914), and Tiny Tots (1920).

Acquisition by the Mirror Group/IPC

In 1959, Amalgamted Press was bought by the Mirror Group and renamed Fleetway Publications (after the name of AP's headquarters, Fleetway House).[8] 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)
  • Thriller Comics (1951 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.

In 1961, the Mirror Group also acquired Odhams Press (which by that point owned Longacre Press and Newnes/Pearson). The group was renamed the International Publishing Corporation in 1963,[9] 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]

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;[10][11] while IPC currently retains its other comics characters and titles, including Sexton Blake, The Steel Claw, and Battler Britton.[12]

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
  • Harmsworth's Universal Encyclopaedia (1921/1922)
  • "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.[13][14]
    • Railway Wonders of the World, 50 installments (1935–36)[15]
    • Shipping Wonders of the World, 55 installments (1936–37)[16]
    • Wonders of World Engineering, 53 installments (1937–38)[17]
    • Wonders of World Aviation, 40 installments (1938)[18]
  • 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.

Periodicals

Story papers

Notable comics titles

Main article: List of AP, Fleetway and IPC Comics publications
Title Starting year Ending year Issues Merged with Notes
Bo-Peep and Little Boy Blue 1929 1934 245 Chicks' Own
Bubbles 1921 1941 1,024 Chicks' Own
Butterfly 1904 1940 1,862 Title is Butterfly and Firefly for 446 issues from 1917 to 1925
Chicks' Own 1920 1957 1,605 Also published 33 annuals from 1924 to 1957
The Comet 1949 1959 510 Tiger Launched by J. B. Allen in 1946; acquired by AP in 1949
Comic Cuts 1890 1953 3,006 Knockout
Comic Home Journal 1895 1904 488
Crackers 1929 1941 615 Jingles
Famous Romance Library 1956 1961 171
Film Fun 1920 1962 2,222 Buster Published 23 annuals from 1938 to 1961
Funny Wonder 1st series 1893 1899 325 Leads right into Funny Wonder 2nd series
Funny Wonder 2nd series 1899 1901 109 Numbering continues with Wonder series 2
Funny Wonder 3rd series 1914 1942 1,404 Wonder series 4 Numbering continues from Halfpenny Wonder (1914 series); numbering continues with Wonder series 4; also published 5 annuals from 1937 to 1942
Girls' Crystal 1953 1963 524 School Friend Numbering continues from Girls' Crystal story paper (launched in 1935); published 39 annuals from 1939 to 1978
Illustrated Chips initial run 1890 1890 6
Illustrated Chips main series 1890 1952 2,997 Film Fun
Jack and Jill 1954 1985 1,640 (c.)
Jester and Wonder 1902 1912 506 Jester Numbering continues from Wonder series 2
Jester 1912 1940 1,312 Funny Wonder Title is Jolly Jester from 1920 to 1924
Jingles 1934 1954 741 TV Fun
The Joker 1927 1940 655 Illustrated Chips
Kinema Comic 1920 1932 651 Film Fun
Knockout 1939 1963 1,240 Valiant Published 16 "Fun Books" from 1941 to 1955, and 6 annuals from 1956 to 1961
Larks 1927 1940 656 Comic Cuts
Lion 1952 1974 1,156 Valiant Published 767 issues with IPC
Marilyn 1955 1965 549 Valentine
Merry and Bright the Favorite Comic 1910 1935 1,265 Butterfly Titled simply Merry and Bright for 337 issues from 1910 to 31 March 1917
My Favourite 1928 1934 351 Sparkler
Playbox 1st series 1898 1898 2
Playbox 2nd series 1905 1913 105 Published 48 annuals from 1909 to 1956
Playbox 3rd series 1925 1955 1,279 Jack and Jill
Playhour 1954 1987 1,700 (c.) Originally titled Playhour Pictures
Playtime 1919 1929 550
Puck 1904 1940 1,867 Sunbeam
Radio Fun 1938 1960 1,029 Buster Published 21 annuals from 1940 to 1960
The Rainbow 1914 1956 1,898 Tiny Tots Published 10 annuals from 1927 onward
Roxy 1958 1963 288 Valentine
School Friend 1950 1965 762 June
Sun 1949 1959 517 Lion Launched by J. B. Allen in 1947; acquired by AP in 1949; was called Sun Comic for 122 issues from 1949 to March 22, 1952
Sunbeam 1922 1940 920 Tiny Tots
Thriller Comics 1951 1963 450
Tiger 1954 1985 1,571 (c.) Eagle Published c. 1,310 issues with IPC
Tiger Tim's Weekly 1919 1940 1,087 Rainbow Originally called Tiger Tim's Tales for 28 issues (1919–1920)
Tiny Tots 1927 1959 1,334 Playhour
Tip Top 1934 1954 727 TV Fun
TV Fun 1953 1960 333 Valentine Becomes TV Fan from 19 September 1959 to 30 January 1960; published 4 annuals from 1957 to 1960
Valentine 1957 1974 919 Mirabelle
Wonder 1st series 1892 1893 27 Restarted as Funny Wonder (1892–1899)
Wonder 2nd series 1901 1902 49 Jester and Wonder Called Wonder and Jester for 2 issues, 10 May 1902 to 17 May 1902; numbering continues in Jester and Wonder
Wonder 3rd series 1913 1914 64 Halfpenny Wonder Numbering continued from Penny Wonder; numbering continued in Halfpenny Wonder (which becomes Funny Wonder 3rd series)
Wonder 4th series 1942 1953 317 Numbering continues from Funny Wonder series 3

Notes

  1. ^ Editorials in early issues of papers such as the Union Jack or Boys' Friend make frequent references to "the blood and thunders", but as time went on the mentions disappeared. Letters sent in by parents or teachers were frequently printed, praising the papers for putting the "trash" out of business.

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. ^ Knuth, Rebecca (2012). Children's Literature and British Identity: Imagining a People and a Nation. Scarecrow Press. p. 65.
  4. ^ W. O. G. Lofts, "Fleetway House is no more," C.D. #375 (March 1978). [Archived at the Friardale website.
  5. ^ "James Henderson and Sons", Graces Guide. Retrieved 22 November 2020
  6. ^ Herbert Allingham biography, golden-duck.co.uk website; accessed 2013-09-16.
  7. ^ Clark, Alan. Dictionary of British Comic Artists, Writers and Editors (The British Library, 1998), pp. 2-3.
  8. ^ "Fleetway – A History". Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  9. ^ Press Office – IPC History, IPC Media, retrieved 28 June 2010 [dead link]
  10. ^ Bunge, Nicole. "REBELLION ACQUIRES FLEETWAY AND IPC YOUTH GROUP ARCHIVES". ICv2. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  11. ^ Johnston, Rich. "Rebellion Buys Fleetway Archive – Roy Of The Rovers, Oink, Tammy, Battle, Whizzer And Chips And More". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  12. ^ Birmingham Mail article Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Clarke, John (2016). "Other Part Works Edited by Clarence Winchester". Railway Wonders of the World. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Resources for Winchester, Clarence (1892-)". Trove. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  15. ^ Railway Wonders of the World tribute website. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.
  16. ^ Shipping Wonders of the World tribute website. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.
  17. ^ Wonders of World Engineering tribute website. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.
  18. ^ Wonders of World Aviation tribute website. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Yellow Magazine, The," The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (APRIL 10, 2015).
  20. ^ "The Boys' Realm," Comic Book+. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.

External links

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