Who’s Who 1897‐1996: One hundred Years of Biography

In 1896 the copyright of Who’s Who, which had, since 1849, merely listed names of members of the establishment, was put up for sale by auction. Adam Black, of A & C Black, and George Whitaker, publisher of the famous Almanack, met in the sale room and agreed not to bid against each other. They tossed for it, Black won, and secured Who’s Who for £30. This, and other nuggets of Who’s Who history, come in the printed manual to the new CD‐ROM Who’s Who 1897‐1996. The manual also, alas, perpetuates the idea that Who Was Who...