The publishing firm Grant Richards was founded in London in 1897. In the following years, notwithstanding some financial difficulties, the founder, Grant Richards, sought out and brought to his publishing list a range British literary authors, some established, and some as yet unknown. Richards published George Bernards Shaw's first collection of plays in 1898, and the work of A. E. Housman, G. K. Chesterton, Alfred Noyes, John Masefield, Samuel Butler, James Joyce, and many other notable writers. The company also published multi-volume editions of literary classics, reprints for sale in colonial markets, and children's books in the Dumpy Books for Children series.
Richards lost control of the firm in 1926 and it became Richards Press. From this time it largely published titles from the backlist gathered by Richards. In 1937 Richards Press was purchased by Martin Secker, and in 1963 it became part of John Baker Limited. This company was absorbed by A. and C. Black in 1970.
