Harper & Brothers

Harper & Brothers was a historic American publishing company headquartered in New York City, United States. Established in 1817 by brothers James Harper, John Harper, Joseph Wesley Harper, and Fletcher Harper, the company became one of the country’s most influential publishers. It produced a wide variety of fiction, nonfiction, history, travel, children’s books, and literary classics, all released in printed editions, as digital publishing did not yet exist. The company published primarily in English and served readers across the United States, while many of its books also reached international markets through exports and publishing partnerships. Harper & Brothers worked with celebrated authors such as Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Henry James, and Edwin Abbott Abbott. In 1962, it merged with Row, Peterson & Company to form Harper & Row, continuing its long publishing tradition.