Periodicals

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

publications which appear at regular intervals, and whose principal object is not the conveyance of news (the main function of newspapers), but the circulation of information of a literary, scientific, artistic, or miscellancharacter, as also criticisms on books, essays, poems, tales, etc. The first periodical was published in France, be ing a scientific magazine, the "Scientists' Journal," issued in 1665. The most famous French literary periodical is the "Review of Two Continents," begun in 1829. The earliest English periodical seems to have been the " Weekly Memorials for the Ingenious, " the first number of which is dated January, 1681-1682, and which lasted but a year. In the 18th century a number of monthly reviews appeared, including the " Monthly Review " ( 1749-1844); the " Critical Review " ( 1756-1817); the " British Critic " ( 1793-1843); the " Anti - Jacobin Review and Magazine" (1798-1821). At length in 1802 a new era in criticism was introduced by the "Edinburgh Review," the organ of the Whigs, which came out every three months, and soon had a formidable rival in the "Quarterly Review" (1809), the organ of the Tories. In 1824 the "Westminster Review" was started by Bentham as the organ of utilitarianism and radicalism, and with it was afterward incorporated the "Foreign Quarterly Review" (1827-1846); and in 1836 the "Dublin Review" was established as the organ of the Roman Catholic party. To meet the demand for critical literature at shorter intervals than three months, there was published in 1865 the " Fortnightly Review, " which for about a year was true to its name, but has since appeared monthly. It was followed by the "Contemporary Review" (1866) and the "Nineteenth Century" (1877). Among the more recent periodicals of this class (in which literary criticism occupies but a small space) are the "National Review" (1883), a Conservative organ; the "New Review," a monthly begun in 1889; and the "Review of Reviews," a monthly giving extracts from all the current periodicals, begun in 1890. The "Athenæum" (1828), "Academy" (1869), "Saturday Review," "Spectator," and "Speaker" (all weekly publications) combine the character of the review with more or less of that of the newspaper. Passing over the "Tatler" (1709- 1710), "Spectator" (1711-1712, revived 1714), etc., which may be considered to be sui generis, the first English magazine properly speaking may be said to be the "Gentleman's Journal, or Monthly Miscellany," commenced in 1692. It was followed in 1731 by the "Gentleman's Magazine," published by Cave. The success of Cave's venture brought out a host of imitators. The "London Maga- Magazine" zine" (1732-1784), the "Scots (1739-1817), the " "European Magazine" (1782-1826), and the "Monthly Magazine" (1796-1829), were among the chief of this class which were originated in the 18th century. In 1817 appeared the first number of "Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine," which soon distanced all its predecessors. Closely approaching it in point of merit stood the "New Monthly Magazine, " " Fraser's Magazine, " " Tait's Edinburgh Magazine, " and the " Dublin University Magazine. " A new era in this kind of literature was inaugurated , some of them by by the shilling monthlies , the first bewith excellent illustrations llan's Magazine” (1859), ing " Macmillan's (1860 " Cornhill Magazine " (1860), "Temple (1860); closely followed by a num- Bar " ber of others. Another step in the direc tion of cheapness was shortly afterward made by the publication of monthly magazines at sixpence, including the "Argosy," "Good Words," the "Sunday Magazine," etc., followed at a long interval by "Longman's Magazine," the "English Illustrated Magazine," "The Strand," etc. Weekly periodicals to suit the taste of all classes, at prices from 2 to 6 cents, have come into fashion since 1832, when the initiative was taken by the "Penny Magazine" and "Chambers' " Century tan, " " The Magazine, " World's Work," etc. and hunger. Ocean. a as a reproduced. after being heated.