Photograph © Johanna Neurath
Thomas Neurath, long-time Managing Director and later Chairman of Thames & Hudson and one of the most influential and respected figures in illustrated book publishing for more than half a century, has died in London on 13 June 2025 at the age of 84.
Tributes have been paid by former colleagues and figures from across publishing and the arts:
‘In the post-war period, art publishing was transformed by Walter and Eva Neurath, the founders of Thames & Hudson. But it was Walter’s son, Thomas, who developed the groundbreaking ‘World of Art’ series in the early sixties. These books brought together authoritative texts by renowned scholars with colour illustrations in a format and at a price that opened art history to new audiences. Over the next fifty years, Thomas continued to encourage young authors and to build the company’s reputation for affordable high-quality texts and illustrations. His commitment to quality and his urbane style endeared him to authors and artists alike.’ Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, and former Director, Tate.
‘Thames & Hudson stands for making knowledge about art accessible to everyone. Thomas Neurath devoted himself to carrying on this tradition begun by his parents, Walter and Eva Neurath, bringing a central European engagement with culture to this country’s publishing and somehow making it feel very British.’ Sir Norman Rosenthal, independent curator and former Exhibitions Secretary, Royal Academy of Arts.
‘Thames & Hudson’s 75th-anniversary celebrations in 2024 put Thomas’s immense contribution to publishing into perspective. He spent more than fifty years at the helm of the company and permeated the house with his intellectual and cultural aura, as well as his unrivalled commercial understanding of the opportunities and perils of illustrated publishing. His wisdom, experience and passion will be greatly missed by everyone at T&H.’ Sophy Thompson, CEO, Thames & Hudson Ltd.
Born in Brackley, Northamptonshire (a place of wartime refuge), in October 1940, Thomas Neurath was the son of publisher Walter Neurath and schoolteacher Marianne Müller. After the death of Marianne, Walter founded Thames & Hudson in 1949 with his third wife and longstanding publishing colleague Eva Feuchtwang, with offices – as the company name suggests – in London and New York. The Neuraths, emigrés from central Europe, created the publishing house with the aim of making art and ideas accessible to a broad audience. Thames & Hudson pioneered the concept of creating a ‘museum without walls’ – a phrase still used by the company today to define its mission – enabling readers to encounter and engage with great works of art of all disciplines through beautifully made books at affordable prices.
Neurath joined the family firm as an editor in 1961, by which time Thames & Hudson was already establishing itself as a leading publisher of illustrated books on the visual arts. The groundbreaking ‘World of Art’ series was developed by Thomas, offering scholarly illustrated introductions to all aspects of visual culture. Published in paperback at prices students could afford, with texts by such major experts as John Boardman, Tamara Talbot Rice, Linda Murray, Nikolaus Pevsner and Kenneth Frampton, and now containing some 300 titles, it continues to be a flagship series for Thames & Hudson today.
In 1967 Walter Neurath died while at the height of his powers, and the day-to-day running of Thames & Hudson was handed over to Thomas, still in his twenties, as Managing Director, and his sister, Constance, who looked after design. Thomas soon displayed extraordinary publishing instincts and was able to translate his vision for a book into a physical design concept, with attention paid to every detail, from fonts and typography to the all-important relationship in illustrated books between text, caption and image.
A founding principle of Thames & Hudson was that the books it published should have international relevance and appeal. For Thomas, this meant focusing not only on export sales – supported over time by the establishment of further offices in Paris, Melbourne and Asia – but also co-edition opportunities. Thomas developed close and lasting links with publishers overseas, from France, Italy and Germany to Japan and North America.
Neurath was a generous, caring and astonishingly skilful publisher and an astute businessman. Aspects of publishing such as distribution and finance were as important to Thomas as the quality of a book’s editorial, design and production standards.
Thomas Neurath’s erudition and high standards, and his employment of respected experts in the subjects published by the company – which grew to include not only art, architecture and ancient history but also design, fashion, photography and children’s books – attracted major artists and authors to the list, from Francis Bacon to David Hockney. Museums and other cultural institutions also keenly collaborated with the company, whether as a publishing or a distribution partner.
Neurath stepped down from his role as Managing Director of Thames & Hudson in 2005, assuming the role of Chairman until 2021. His family continues to be involved in the business: Thomas’s older daughter, Johanna Neurath, is Chair of Thames & Hudson Publishing Ltd, while his younger daughter, Susanna Reisz Neurath, is Chair of Thames & Hudson Holdings Ltd.
Thomas Neurath is survived by his wife, Gun, their two daughters, Johanna and Susanna, his grandchildren and by his sister, Constance Kaine.
Posted on June 24, 2025