5 A Gallery of Eighteenth-Century Periodicals
General Interest Magazines
The Gentleman’s Magazine was one of England’s earliest general interest magazines, publishing poetry, satire, letters, news stories, and articles on culture, politics, science and medicine. It appeared monthly from 1731-1922. Its contributors included Samuel Johnson.
The Spectator was published daily by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele from 1711-1712. It was enormously popular, each installment selling up to 4000 copies. A variety of political and cultural topics were covered. The issue below includes an essay on binge drinking.
The Female Spectator, published by Eliza Haywood from 1744-1746, address itself to the particular interests of women, though its readership also included men:
Fashion
The earliest fashion magazines were published in the eighteenth century. The Gallery of Fashion, for example, was published from 1794-18-3. It gives you a vivid sense of fashionable Regency garb. Flip through the British Library’s Gallery of Fashion page for a glimpse into the world of Jane Austen. You’ll learn why white was so fashionable and mourning garb such a big deal for women.
Mastery Check:
- What kinds of essays were published in periodicals of the eighteenth century?
- What topic was covered in the June 4, 1711, Spectator that might be covered in a college newspaper in 2021?
- Who published The Female Spectator?