The business of Isis since 1950

Since 1952, the History of Science Society has been responsible for substantial human and financial resources required to sustain the journal Isis. The editorial history of Isis has previously been covered by those closely involved in it, but these practitioner-histories only occasionally offer insight into the business of running Isis. We have used the society’s archives to investigate the behind-the-scenes operations of the journal. In 1953 the editor and one assistant had to do everything aside from the actual printing. Over the next four decades, this would change dramatically. We consider the people involved in the editorial work (academic volunteers and paid staff), the production and distribution arrangements for Isis, and how this was all financed in the years from George Sarton’s retirement up to the 1990 decision to move to the University of Chicago Press.