Athenaeum (magazine)

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

The Athenaeum was a literary magazine published in London, England from 1828 to 1921. It had a reputation for publishing the best writers of the age.

Foundation

Initiated in 1828 by James Silk Buckingham, it was sold within a few weeks to Frederick Maurice and John Sterling, who failed to make it profitable. In 1829, Charles Wentworth Dilke became part proprietor and editor; he greatly extended the influence of the magazine. In 1846, he resigned the editorship and assumed that of the "Daily News" of London, but contributed a series of notable articles to "Athenaeum". The poet and critic Thomas Kibble Hervey succeeded Dilke as editor and served from 1846 until his resignation due to ill health in 1853.

Contributors

George Darley was a staff critic during the early years, and Gerald Massey contributed many literary reviews – mainly on poetry – during the period 1858 to 1868. Theodore Watts-Dunton contributed regularly as the principal critic of poetry from 1875 until 1898. Frederic George Stephens was art editor from 1851 until 1901, when he was replaced by Roger Fry because of his unfashionable disapproval of Impressionism. Arthur Symons joined the staff in 1891.

During the 19th century, it received contributions from Lord Kelvin. During the early 20th Century, its contributors included Max Beerbohm, Edmund Blunden, T. S. Eliot, Robert Graves, Thomas Hardy, Aldous Huxley, Julian Huxley, Edith Sitwell, Katherine Mansfield, and Virginia Woolf.

From 1849 to 1880 Geraldine Jewsbury contributed more than 2300 reviews. She was one of very few women who reviewed for the "Athenaeum" and started submitting her reviews regularly by 1854. She rated highly novels that showed character morality and were also entertaining. She criticized the "fallen woman" theme, which was common in Victorian literature. During the second half of the 1850s, Jewsbury was entrusted with editing the "New Novels" section.[1]

Legacy

A letter from J. S. Cotton, reportedly printed during 1905, definitively tells of the first-ever reference to the playing of a match of cricket in India.

In 1921, with decreasing circulation, the "Athenaeum" was incorporated into its younger competitor: the "Nation", becoming "The Nation and Athenaeum". In 1931, this successor publication merged with the "New Statesman", to form the "New Statesman and Nation", eliminating the ancient and famous name "Athenaeum" after 97 years.

See also

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

  • Demoor, Marysa, "Their Fair Share: Women, Power, and Criticism in the Athenaeum, from Millicent Garratt Fawcett to Katharine Mansfield, 1870-1920". Aldershot: Ashgate, 2000. ISBN 978-0-7546-0118-0
  • Graham, Walter James, 'The Athenaeum', "English Literary Periodicals". New York: T. Nelson, 1930, pp. 317–321.
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Marchand, Leslie A., "The Athenaeum: A Mirror of Victorian Culture". Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1941.
  • Sullivan, Alvin, ed., 'The Athenaeum', "British Literary Magazines. Volume 3". Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1983-, pp. 21–24.

External links