Thames & Hudson

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Thames & Hudson, often shortened to T&H, is a UK publisher of illustrated books across art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, the performing arts, archaeology, history, and popular culture. Based in London, it has a New York sister company and subsidiaries in Melbourne, Singapore, and Hong Kong, plus Éditions Thames & Hudson in Paris and Interart distributing English-language books. The group employs about 150 staff in London and around 65 more worldwide, and it distributes through Hachette UK in the UK, W. W. Norton in the US, and Alliance Distribution Services in Australia. It publishes over 2,000 titles and remains independently owned by the Neurath family.

Founded in 1949 by Walter Neurath and his wife Eva Neurath, Thames & Hudson aimed to bring art and scholarly books to a wider public at affordable prices. The name reflects its cross‑Atlantic focus on British and North American markets. Neurath helped pioneer book packaging and co-edition publishing, letting high‑quality illustrated books reach many markets and lower costs. He envisioned a “museum without walls” that could make art accessible to all.

Notable series include World of Art (launched in 1958 as a pocket‑sized, black‑spined line; now over 300 titles), Ancient People and Places, and the large‑format Great Civilizations series.

Leadership and recent moves: Walter Neurath died in 1967; Eva Neurath led the company until her death in 1999. Thomas Neurath (1940–2025) became managing director, with Constance Neurath serving as art director for many years. As of 2025, Thomas’s daughters Johanna and Susanna sit on the board. In 2023 Thames & Hudson acquired back catalogs and rights to Unit Editions and ROM (Read-Only Memory).