About Us
In 1942 the late Ian Allan published his first booklet ‘ABC Southern Locomotives’ and from this a series of booklets were published covering all regions of England, Wales and Scotland as well as buses and aeroplanes. In 1947 Ian Allan Publishing was incorporated and which became the world’s leading transport publisher. Ian Allan himself introducing the word ‘trainspotting’ and which became a hobby for hundreds of thousands of boys and girls.
Today the Company still publishes Masonic books under the Lewis Masonic imprint which is the oldest Masonic imprint in the world having been formed in 1886. A. Lewis Masonic was purchased by Ian Allan Ltd in 1973 and remains the largest supplier of Masonic rituals in the country.