Book South Africa (British Museum) the art of the nation - Thames & Hudson

In recent decades, archaeologists in South Africa have uncovered some of the oldest works of art in the world — extraordinary examples of humanity’s earliest artistic efforts. Today, the Republic of South Africa boasts a vibrant, often politicized contemporary art scene that draws from both its ancient and distant past to comment on the present. Starting from the earliest known artistic tradition in South Africa 100,000 years ago, South Africa: Art of a Nation explores the history of South Africa through its artworks, paying close attention not only to their interrelations but also to their connections with episodes in the evolution of the nation. Engaging in a dialogue between the past and the present, between old and new art objects, the book offers a refreshingly new perspective on South Africa — a history that begins many millennia before the formation of the modern nation.

After considering the earliest artistic expressions of our earliest ancestors, this richly illustrated publication focuses on the establishment of the first centralized societies in southern Africa in the first millennium CE and their influence on the emergence of three-dimensional figurative art. It then examines the artistic influences of European and Asian settlers from the 17th century, followed by an exploration of colonial conflicts and related artworks, and finally presents rural works by the San | Bushmen, Khoekhoe, and black South African artists from the 19th century. The issue of segregation after the Union of South Africa in 1910 and “Art of Resistance” during the apartheid era are discussed in the penultimate section, while the final chapter addresses South Africa’s transformation from an apartheid state into a democratic nation and the art that continues to inspire it. Created with a major exhibition at the British Museum in mind, this book offers a new and often moving perspective on one of the world's most vibrant nations, whose fascinating history, process of self-discovery, and periods of awakening are reflected in its art.

The Thames & Hudson publishing house was founded in 1949 by Walter and Eva Neurath. Their greatest passion and mission was to create a “museum without walls” and to make the world of art and leading scholarly research accessible to a broad audience. To reflect international perspectives, the company’s name combines the rivers flowing through London and New York, represented in its logo by two dolphins symbolizing friendship and intelligence, one facing east and the other west, suggesting a connection between the Old World and the New.

Today, still an independent, family-run publisher, Thames & Hudson is one of the world’s leading publishers of illustrated books, with over 2,000 titles in print. It publishes high-quality collectible books across all areas of visual creativity: fine arts, applied arts, decorative arts, performing arts, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and music, as well as archaeology, history, and popular culture. The list of children’s books is also expanding. Headquartered in London with a sister company in New York and branches in Melbourne, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In Paris, a subsidiary, Interart, distributes English-language books in France.

History of the Thames & Hudson brand

Walter Neurath was born in Vienna in 1903. In 1938, he left his hometown — where he ran an art gallery and published illustrated books — for London. Initially, he worked as a production director at Adprint, a company founded by Viennese émigré Wolfgang Foges. Neurath and Foges developed an innovative concept now known as book packaging (or co-publishing), where ideas for books are developed, commissioned, produced, and sold to publishers operating in different markets and languages, allowing for large print runs and thus reducing unit production costs. Neurath’s concept was the first of many innovations that Thames & Hudson introduced to the publishing world.

Continuing the packaging of {collector's edition books|books} in the second edition and recognizing the need to amortize the high costs of producing illustrated books, Neurath established his own publishing house, with offices in London and New York, in the autumn of 1949. Eva Neurath, who arrived in London from Berlin in 1939, was a co-founder.

Of the ten titles published on Thames & Hudson’s first list in 1950, *English Cathedrals*, with photographs by Martin Hürlimann, was the first and achieved the greatest success. The strong conviction {brand|company} from the very beginning regarding the durability of books remained in print until 1971. In the first year of publication, Albert Einstein’s *Out of My Later Years* also appeared, an early indicator of the program’s scope. As the list gradually expanded—growing from ten titles in 1950 to 144 in 1955—the company moved its offices from High Holborn in 1956 to a Georgian townhouse at 30 Bloomsbury Street, near Bedford Square, becoming the epicenter of book publishing in London. The manufacturing remained at this address, eventually expanding to five houses by 1999, when it returned to High Holborn.

In 1958, Thames & Hudson launched one of its most famous series, *World of Art*, which became the foundation of a highly diverse list. Characterized by pocket-sized editions and black spines, the series expanded in just seven years to include 49 titles. Almost 60 years later, the series boasts over 300 titles, which, according to Christopher Frayling, are “stained with paint copies” in every art school across the country.

Other important series that added depth and prestige to the list include *Ancient People and Places*, edited by Glyn Daniel, who from the 1950s contributed to pioneering interest in archaeology, both in book form and on television. Over 34 titles were published in this series over 34 years. The large-format *Great Civilizations* series, published in 1961, featured contributions from esteemed scholars such as Alan Bullock, Asa Briggs, Hugh Trevor-Roper, A. J. P. Taylor, and John Julius Norwich.
After establishing one of the most important publishing houses in Europe in less than two decades, Walter Neurath died in 1967 at the age of 63. Sculptor Henry Moore wrote that “his death was a loss to our cultural life.” Sir Herbert Read noted that Neurath “more than anyone else was responsible for the revolution in art publishing” and was “one of those rare entrepreneurs who successfully combine business acumen with idealism.” Eva Neurath became chairwoman. Walter’s son, Thomas, who joined the company in 1961 with his sister Constance, became managing director; Constance later served as artistic director for several decades. Both Thomas and Constance remain on the Thames & Hudson board, as do Thomas’s daughters, Johanna and Susanna.

From producing the first commercial edition of *The Book of Kells* to the triumphant publication of the six-volume *Vincent van Gogh - Letters*, from technical innovations like “French folds” to the controversial documentation of graffiti art in *Subway Art*, Thames & Hudson has always been at the forefront, both culturally and in production techniques.

2016 marked an extraordinary new chapter for the company, announcing publishing partnerships with two of the world’s most important museums: the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The world of art and scholarship remains at the heart of Thames & Hudson’s publishing program, which remains true to its fundamental principle: providing a “museum without walls.”
Today, Thames & Hudson is a recognizable international brand, a symbol of British publishing. They offer thousands of engaging book titles, many of which are prestigious collector’s editions.

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