Marcus Ward & Co.

Marcus Ward and Co. was an Irish publishing company known for its illustrated books for children and adults, as well as its decorative greeting cards. It had its beginnings in 1802, with a partnership between John Ward, James Blow and Robert Greenfield. By the 1820s they owned paper mills in Belfast, Comber and Coleraine. which operated under the company name of John Ward and Sons. In the early 1830s Marcus Ward (son of John Ward) took over the running of the Belfast paper mill. Then in 1833 Marcus formed a new company, Marcus Ward & Sons, based in Belfast, having a new direction, in stationery and general publishing. Marcus Ward and Sons soon became very successful in the area of colour lithography, winning a medal at the Great Exhibition of 1851. By the time Marcus died in 1847 his three sons, Francis, William and John, had successfully taken over the running of the business.

From the Wikipedia article “Marcus Ward & Co.”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Marcus Ward & Co. is no longer an active publisher (defunct since 1899). Its books may still be in print through successor companies or available second-hand and in libraries.