▁also ▁an ▁author . ▁His ▁writ ings ▁include ▁Some ▁Random ▁Rec ol lections , ▁Publishing ▁Then ▁and ▁Now , ▁Port rait ▁of ▁a ▁Publish er , ▁Bl anche ▁W . ▁Kn opf : ▁July ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 8 9 4 - J une ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁and ▁Si xty ▁Phot ograph s . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Kn op fs ' ▁son ▁Alfred ▁A . ▁Kn opf ▁Jr . ▁left ▁the ▁company ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁to ▁found ▁Ath ene um ▁Publish ers , ▁Alfred ▁and ▁Bl anche ▁became ▁concerned ▁about ▁the ▁event ual ▁fate ▁of ▁their ▁publishing ▁house , ▁which ▁had ▁always ▁been ▁a ▁family ▁business . ▁The ▁problem ▁was ▁solved ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁when ▁Kn opf ▁merged ▁with ▁Random ▁House , ▁which ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁Kn op fs ' ▁close ▁friends ▁Ben nett ▁Cer f ▁and ▁Donald ▁K lop fer . ▁Kn opf ▁retained ▁complete ▁editor ial ▁control ▁for ▁five ▁years , ▁and ▁then ▁gave ▁up ▁only ▁his ▁right ▁to ▁v eto ▁other ▁edit ors ' ▁manuscript ▁se lections . ▁The ▁editor ial ▁depart ments ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁companies ▁remain ▁separate , ▁and ▁Kn opf , ▁Inc ., ▁retain s ▁its ▁distinct ive ▁character . ▁Kn opf ▁called ▁the ▁mer ger ▁" a ▁perfect ▁marriage ." ▁ ▁Random ▁House ▁itself ▁eventually ▁became ▁a ▁division ▁of ▁Bert els mann ▁AG , ▁a ▁large ▁mult in ational ▁media ▁company . ▁The ▁Kn opf ▁im print ▁remains ▁in ▁existence