The Gentleman's Magazine
The Gentleman 's Magazine, originally The Gentleman 's Magazine; or, Trader 's Monthly Intelligencer, was a London-based magazine. The 1731 first published in the magazine was one of the first periodicals that covered a wide range of topics from various sources, and the first periodical that used the title of the magazine. It appeared regularly on a monthly basis until 1907.
Title
Founder Edward Cave chose the magazine title in allusion to the same military stockpile in order to emphasize that his magazine put together the best from different sources. Cave moved into his material mainly from periodicals which there was no copyright law at the time, but made his most recognizable sources. The Statute of Anne of 1710 only applied to printed books. Although the assumption of other newspaper articles was common at that time, Cave was the first of the offensive so that campaigned to supply any original contributions. The Gentleman 's Magazine really should not have its own editorial line, or appeal to a certain audience, but a potpourri of which deliver what was just interesting. Another slogan was a greater variety than any book, no matter at what price.
Concept
Cave was the editor and principal investor, and the magazine was strongly associated with his person. However, the editorship was writers like Samuel Johnson or John Hawkesworth. Cave led several innovations in the Press at the time being a: Reports from the Parliament, letter columns and poetry. Another focus was on reports of military campaigns, including detailed accompanying maps. The magazine also covered a wide spectrum of topics which included, among other sciences, antiques, cooking recipes or family history. The first periodical, presented the articles of a wide range of topics, it was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries throughout the English-speaking world. The success of the magazine was also due to the fact that Cave had a functioning distribution system to booksellers in the province. So were for a relatively small amount of money the country residents are able to get once a month a summary of important events and debates in London.
The magazine changed in the course of its existence often Format and Focus. Alone at Caves active period 1731-1754 held five major adaptations, many more followed in the aftermath of his death. Already in 1736 changed the name to The Cave Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle, to draw attention to the extensive chronicle of the respective previous month.
After the magazine was limited in his early days primarily on reprinting articles from other publications, rose in the course of its existence, the share of own texts. Cave himself was present only occasionally worked as an author. " Voice" of the blade maker was the pseudonym Sylvanus Urban under both Cave and partially attributed his employees. Sylvanus Urban stood until 1856 on the title page, and the name was revived by the Editor in Chief Joseph Knight in his tenure 1874-1906. Authors who wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine were, among others, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, RD Blackmore, Charles Dickens, William Hazlitt, Henry Kingsley, Charles Lamb, E. Lynn Linton, John Murray and John Ruskin.
In the 19th century the number of pages of the magazine was usually at about 100 pages. Towards the end of the 19th century, the Gentleman's Magazine came under increasing pressure from competition, the penny press. The production for 1870 was 10,000 copies, which in 1898 only 850 attempts to counteract the trend by a cheaper and a stronger focus on lighter topics, helped ultimately little diluted and especially the profile of the journal.
Reception
The success of the Gentleman's Magazine encouraged numerous imitators. In London alone, were founded in 1732-1756 a total of 18 magazines, but differed partly in the format greatly from the Gentleman's Magazine. Other imitators in the format called themselves Museum, Miscallenum or palladium. Among the important imitators of the concept of the Monthly Magazine, the New Monthly Magazine and the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine included. In particular, with the London Magazine, which had copied the concept of the Gentleman's Magazine to the smallest details, to Sylvanus Urban violent clashes delivered by accusing the London Magazine treason, piracy, dishonesty and plagiarism.
From the Gentleman's Magazine comes the motto E pluribus unum, which adorns the seal of the United States and the back of dollar bills and for centuries was de facto motto of the United States. Cave had this in 1731 chosen to document the composition of the magazine from many sources, as well as the cover of a hand adorned with a bouquet of various flowers. E pluribus unum remained until the middle of the 19th century motto of the magazine. The Gentleman's Magazine, in turn, had the motto of the Gentleman's Journal, a magazine that published the Huguenot Pierre Antoine Motteux 1691 to 1694 in London.