Building on two centuries experience, Taylor & Francis Publishing has grown rapidly over the last two decades to become a leading international academic publisher. With offices in London, Brighton, Basingstoke and Abingdon in the United Kingdom; New York and Philadelphia in the United States; and Singapore and Melbourne in the Pacific Rim, the company publishes more than 1,000 journals and nearly 1,800 new books each year, with a book backlist in excess of 20,000 specialist titles. The foundations of the company were laid in pioneering fashion when in 1798 Richard Taylor launched the Philosophical Magazine, one of the first scientific journals produced by an independent company. It was the start of many collaborations with various scholarly societies. Dr William Francis, a chemist, joined Taylor in 1852 and continued the tradition of the close links between the academic community and the company. In 1936, Taylor & Francis became a private limited company with leading scientists as directors and shareholders. Taylor & Francis Publishing maintains a location in New York.