Aperture Foundation, the nonprofit photography center and book publisher, has announced a new international book distribution agreement that will make Thames & Hudson the exclusive distributor of Aperture books worldwide. Aperture Books will continue to be distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Ellen Harris, executive director of the Aperture Foundation, told PW the house is switching its international distribution after nearly two years of personnel changes and reorganization following the sudden deaths of two of its executive directors. The house published two books this spring and is ramping up to 14 titles for the fall. Harris told PW it was the right time to look to expand international distribution.
"This is our first season with a new group of people and a new list," said Harris. "We think we can sell many more books internationally, and Thames & Hudson is the premier distributor of art books worldwide. They distribute the books of many publishers that we admire."
Trevor Naylor, T&H director of sales and marketing, described the Aperture list as "a photographer's hall of fame." Aperture's 300-title backlist—featuring the works of many of the most distinguished photographers in the world—will also be a focus of the new international distribution deal. Aperture's authors include Henri Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus, Robert Capa, Mary Ellen Mark and many others.