The Athenaeum (British magazine)
James Silk Buckingham launched The Athenæum in London during 1828. He sold the publication within a few weeks to Frederick Maurice and John Sterling. These new owners failed to make the magazine profitable. Charles Wentworth Dilke joined as part proprietor and editor in 1829. Dilke greatly extended the influence of the periodical through his leadership. He resigned the editorship in 1846 to assume that of the Daily News of London. Thomas Kibble Hervey succeeded Dilke as editor in 1846. Hervey served until his resignation due to ill health in 1853. William Hepworth Dixon took over the role in 1853. Dixon remained editor until 1869.
George Darley worked as a staff critic during the early years of the magazine. Gerald Massey contributed many literary reviews mainly on poetry from 1858 to 1868. George Henry Caunter wrote reviews of French-language books as one of the principal early contributors. His brother John Hobart Caunter also contributed reviews. H. F. Chorley covered musical topics from 1830 until 1868. This work started well before the general emergence of regular journalistic music criticism in the mid 1840s. Theodore Watts-Dunton served as the principal critic of poetry from 1875 until 1898. Frederic George Stephens was art editor from 1860 until 1901. Roger Fry replaced Stephens because of his unfashionable disapproval of Impressionism. Arthur Symons joined the staff in 1891. Norman MacColl edited the publication from 1871 to 1900. Lord Kelvin contributed to the magazine during the 19th century. Max Beerbohm, Edmund Blunden, and T. S. Eliot appeared among its contributors in the early 20th century.
Geraldine Jewsbury contributed more than 2300 reviews between 1849 and 1880. She started submitting her reviews regularly by 1854. Jewsbury was one of very few women who reviewed for The Athenæum. She rated highly novels that showed character morality and were also entertaining. Her writing 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. An example of her work includes an the 7th of April 1860 review of George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss. Her contributions helped shape the critical voice regarding female characters in fiction.
William Thoms launched The Athenæum’s folklore correspondence in August 1846. He wrote under the name Ambrose Merton. Thoms proposed a good Saxon compound called Folk-Lore meaning the Lore of the People. He invited readers to submit manners, customs, observances, superstitions, ballads, proverbs, and other survivals of Popular Antiquities worth preserving. Stephen Miller describes these columns as an early public forum for an emerging discipline. The feature appeared intermittently between 1846 and 1849. It ran to thirty-five columns and eighty-seven separate contributions. After a strong start in 1846, publication declined sharply. In 1847 Thoms attempted to sustain momentum with nine instalments of The Folk-Lore of Shakespeare. Most contributions were signed only with initials or ciphers so few contributors can be securely identified.
A letter from J. S. Cotton printed during 1905 definitively tells of the first-ever reference to the playing of a match of cricket in India. This historical record highlights the magazine's role beyond literary criticism. The periodical documented early sporting events alongside its standard reviews. Such documentation preserved cultural records that might otherwise have been lost. The Athenæum served as a repository for diverse historical information during its long run. Its archives contain details about social practices and entertainment across the Victorian era.
In 1921 decreasing circulation led to the incorporation of The Athenæum into its younger competitor. The Nation became the new partner forming The Nation and Athenaeum. This successor publication merged with the New Statesman in 1931. The merger created the New Statesman and Nation. This final entity eliminated the name Athenaeum after 97 years. The original magazine had absorbed The Literary Chronicle and Weekly Review which ran from 1819 to 1828. It was published as The Athenæum and Literary Chronicle for the first few volumes before changing its title again. The end of the publication marked the close of an important chapter in British literary journalism.
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Common questions
Who launched The Athenaeum in 1828?
James Silk Buckingham launched The Athenaeum in London during 1828. He sold the publication within a few weeks to Frederick Maurice and John Sterling.
When did The Athenaeum cease publication as an independent magazine?
The original magazine ceased operations in 1921 when decreasing circulation led to its incorporation into its younger competitor. The Nation became the new partner forming The Nation and Athenaeum, which later merged with the New Statesman in 1931.
What was the role of Geraldine Jewsbury at The Athenaeum between 1849 and 1880?
Geraldine Jewsbury contributed more than 2300 reviews between 1849 and 1880. She started submitting her reviews regularly by 1854 and was entrusted with editing the New Novels section during the second half of the 1850s.
How did William Thoms establish folklore coverage in The Athenaeum?
William Thoms launched The Athenaeums folklore correspondence in August 1846 under the name Ambrose Merton. He proposed the term Folk-Lore meaning the Lore of the People and invited readers to submit manners, customs, observances, superstitions, ballads, proverbs, and other survivals of Popular Antiquities worth preserving.
Which notable figures served as editors for The Athenaeum from 1829 to 1869?
Charles Wentworth Dilke joined as part proprietor and editor in 1829 before resigning the editorship on the 2nd of May 1846 to assume that of the Daily News of London. Thomas Kibble Hervey succeeded Dilke as editor in 1846 and served until his resignation due to ill health in 1853. William Hepworth Dixon took over the role in 1853 and remained editor until 1869.