Pearson Education Acquires Abrams Art History Textbooks

Posted on August 16, 2002

Pearson Education, an educational publisher announced its acquisition of the art history textbook list from Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Abrams and Pearson's Prentice Hall have maintained a co-publishing relationship spanning nearly fifty years, in which Prentice Hall marketed Abrams' art textbooks to the college market. The move represents a mutual agreement in which Abrams will continue to focus on its core business in art and illustrated books for the trade, while Prentice Hall will enhance its art history offerings for higher education with fifty Abrams art textbooks, including H.W. Janson's History of Art, four million copies of which are currently in print.

"Prentice Hall is honored and excited to assume editorial and production responsibilities for the Abrams' Art History textbook list," said Yolanda de Rooy, President of Humanities and Social Sciences at Prentice Hall. "We affirm our commitment to preserve the quality and integrity that Harry N. Abrams has brought to these titles for generations of students."

Under the agreement, many of these titles will continue to carry the Abrams imprint and Abrams will continue to distribute them to the trade. The complete list includes seminal art history textbooks such as History of Italian Renaissance Art by Frederick Hartt and History of Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Photography by H. H. Arneson and Marla F. Prather.

"Abrams will continue to be the leading publisher of high-quality art and illustrated books," said Steven Parr, President and CEO of Abrams. "I am excited by the opportunity we now have to expand our trade business further along existing lines and new areas that complement our current publishing program."

Pearson Education includes several educational publishing brands, such as Prentice Hall, Longman, Scott Foresman, Addison Wesley, NCS Pearson, and many others. Pearson Education also provides online learning with nearly 2,000 textbook companion websites, the InformIT website for technology professionals, and Family Education Network, an online resource for parents, teachers, and children. Pearson Education is part of Pearson, the international media company.

Now in its 53rd year, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. is owned by La Martiniere Group, headquartered in Paris. Abrams is a publisher in the U.S. of fine art and illustrated books on a wide range of subjects, and also publishes children's books, Abrams Books for Young Readers, calendars, and a new line of gift and stationery products under the Abrams, Abradale and Stewart, Tabori and Chang imprints. Abrams publishes and distributes approximately 200 new books annually and currently has over 1,500 titles in print.