Seventeenth Century

Item 1.
Angliæ ruina, or, Englands ruine : represented in the barbarous, and sacrilegious outrages of the sectaries of this kingdome, committed upon the lives, consciences and estates of all His. Maj. loyal subjects in generall, but more particularly upon the churches, colledges, clergie, and scholars of the same. Containing two briefe catalogues of such heads and fellows of colledges in the University of Cambridge ... Whereunto is added, A chronologie of the time and place of all the battails, sieges, conflicts, and other remarkable passages which have happened betwixt His Majesty and the Parliament, with a catalogue of such persons of quality, as have been slain on either party, from Novemb. 3. 1640 till the 25. of March, 1647.([London : s.n.], 1647)

This is a reprint of Mercurius Rusticus, a newsbook from the Civil War period. The editor, Bruno Ryves (1596-1677) was one of Charles I's chaplains. Nineteen numbers of Mercurius rusticus appeared, starting in August 1642. The newsbooks of the period were highly political. Ryves's publication being Royalist. George Wither began a Parliamentary Mercurius rusticus in answer to the Royalist one.

Go Back

Eighteenth Century

Item 10.
The Gentleman's magazine. (London : [s.n.], 1731-1907)

With the Gentleman's magazine we see the first use of the term "magazine" in its current meaning. Edward Cave the editor, wrote in the "Advertisement" to the first issue, January 1731, that the intention in undertaking this new publication was,

to give monthly a view of all the pieces of with, humour or intelligence daily offer'd to the publick in the News-papers, (which of late are so multiply'd as to render it impossible, unless a man make it his business, to consult them all) … This Consideration has induced several Gentlemen to promote a Monthly Collection to treasure up, as in a Magazine, the most remarkable Pieces.

We have a full set of the Gentleman's magazine. On display are copies showing the characteristic wood-cut device on the title-page of "St. John's Gate". Another is open to show a fold-out map of Gibraltar (March 1762). This accompanied an article, "The advantages to England from the possession of Gibraltar". The fortress of Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, had been captured from the Spanish by the British in 1704 and has remained continuously in British hands since. 

Go Back

The Female Spectator was edited by Eliza Haywood. In the bound set on display we see the editorial committee of four ladies sitting around the table discussing the next issue. The idea of this periodical was based on the Female Tatler of 1709. The earlier title was supposedly edited by "Mrs. Crackenthorpe, a lady that knows everything", in reality the editor was Thomas Baker. Delarivier Manley was however one of the contributors.

Go Back

Item 13.
The Rambler (London, 1750-52) [original issues on loan from Paul Tankard]

The Rambler was a single-essay periodical, conducted and (all but five papers) written by Samuel Johnson. It appeared on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 20 March 1750 to 14 March 1752. The pamphlet edition did not circulate widely, but when gathered into volumes the complete work went through 65 editions in the next 70 years.

Go Back

Item 17.
Monthly beauties; or, The cabinet of literary genius. Comprising interesting selections from the most esteemed periodical and other new publications. Embellished with elegant engravings. (London : Printed for and sold by J. Parsons ..., 1793)

This was another short-lived serial which derived at least some of its copy by summarising articles from local and continental sources.

The first issue of this magazine, January 1793 included as its lead article, "Louis XVI. Late King of France, Navarre, &c. &c." with an engraving of the King and also of his execution by guillotine. The King had been executed in the morning of 21^st January 1793 so this was very much current news.

Go Back

Item 18.
The Lady's monthly museum; or, Polite respository of amusement and instruction : Being an assemblage of whatever can tend to please the fancy, interest the mind, or exalt the character of the British fair / By a society of ladies. (London : Vernor and Hood, 1798-1828)  

In parallel to the, at times, rather pompous periodicals aimed at the coffee-house pundits, publishers were marketing magazines for women. The Lady's Monthly Museum was typical of the time. It included biographical sketches of prominent women of the time, in the fields of literature or society, a hand-coloured fashion plate showing what people were wearing each month, fiction, essays, poetry, gossip, recipes and reviews.

Go Back