The first U.S. publisher focused on creating and distributing high-quality art books, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., launched in 1949 with just two employees--Harry N. Abrams and editor in chief Milton Fox--and $100,000 in capital. Its first list consisted of three titles: Renoir, Van Gogh, and El Greco, which formed the nucleus of the Library of Great Painters series.
Other early titles included History of Art by H.W. Janson (1962), which became required reading in many college and university art classes; Norman Rockwell: Artist and Illustrator (1970), which sold more than 200,000 copies in its first two years; and The Art of Walt Disney (1973), still in print after several editions, a title that heralded the beginning of lavish art books about popular culture.
Other milestones involved partnerships that defined publishing genres. In 1991, Abrams published Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics, the start of a partnership that continues today. In 1992, Abrams published George Lucas: The Creative Impulse, which covered the first 20 years of LucasFilm, with forewords by Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola, the beginning of another ongoing partnership.
The publication of star chef Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for the Food in 2002 spearheaded the growth of Abrams's cookbook program with innovative use of images and a totally fresh approach to cooking. The publication in 2005 of Bunny Williams's landmark interior design book, An Affair with a House, began the company's strong interior design list featuring leading names in the field. Also in 2005, Abrams published Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury, one of the first of many books that highlight fashion designers and their world with the values of traditional art-book publishing.
In 2006, Abrams launched the Abrams Image imprint, focusing on illustrated and non-illustrated books about music, humor, reference, fashion, and pop culture.
In 2009, Abrams released Vanity Fair Portraits by Graydon Carter, one of many titles published in association with Conde Nast magazines, including Vanity Fair, Vogue, Architectural Digest, and more. Abrams has had similar programs with the New York Times, Hearst, and other major publications.
In 2017, Abrams launched Abrams Press, which focuses on first-rate narrative nonfiction on a broad range of subjects and issues, including arts and culture, food and drink, style, design, history, current events, science, technology, memoir, and biography. Among the imprint's successes is Caroline Criado Perez's Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, a landmark, prize-winning, bestselling examination of how the gender gap in data perpetuates bias.
In 2018, Abrams acquired The Overlook Press, the acclaimed publisher founded in 1971 by the legendary late publisher Peter Mayer. The Overlook Press has a high-quality and eclectic list, publishing authors including Charles Portis, Mark Helprin, Susan Hill, P.G. Wodehouse, and Walter Brooks, among others.
In 2020, Abrams announced a new partnership with Cernunnos to publish illustrated books that showcase popular art as well as highlight the creative spirit in contemporary art and iconic painters, photographers, fashion influencers, filmmakers, and writers.
Founder Harry N. Abrams retired in 1977, and Andrew Stewart became president. Stewart began an ambitious publishing program with the Smithsonian Institution. In 1980, Paul Gottlieb became editor in chief, then chairman and CEO, heading Abrams for 20 years and expanding the company's reach to the mainstream. In 2004, Michael Jacobs became president and CEO and oversaw record growth during his 18-year tenure. In 2014, Michael Sand became publisher of the adult trade division.
Recent New York Times bestsellers include Easy Money by Ben McKenzie, F*ck It, I'll Start Tomorrow by Action Bronson, The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King, Good Eats: The Final Years by Alton Brown, Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett, Home Style Cookery by Matty Matheson, Music Is History by Questlove, The Sopranos Sessions by Matt Zoller Seitz and Alan Sepinwall, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: The Art of the Movie by Ramin Zahed, and What's Gaby Cooking: Grilling All the Things by Gaby Dalkin.
Among other significant titles:
Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style by Architectural Digest, introduction by Amy Astley, foreword by Anna Wintour (2019)
Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession by Jess Damuck, foreword by Martha Stewart (2022)
Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection by Shawn Waldron, photographs by Slim Aarons and Getty Images, contribution by Lesley Blume, Laura Hawk, and Nick Foulkes, foreword by Maria Cooper Janis (2023)
Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman (2023)
The What's Gaby Cooking series by Gaby Dalkin, which includes What's Gaby Cooking: Everyday California Food (2018), What's Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want (2020), What's Gaby Cooking: Take It Easy, Recipes for Zero Stress and Deliciousness (2022), and What's Gaby Cooking: Grilling All the Things (2024)
Dalkin said this about working with Abrams: "Being a part of the Abrams family has been more than just a publishing experience; it has been a journey filled with memorable moments and experiences that have left an indelible mark on my career. The collaborative spirit, dedication to quality, and unwavering support from the Abrams team (who has become like family) have made this publishing journey truly special."