''Graham's Magazine'' was a nineteenth-century

periodical A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also example ...

based in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

established by

George Rex Graham George Rex Graham (January 18, 1813 – July 13, 1894) was an American magazine editor and publisher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He founded the journal ''Graham's Magazine'' at the age of 27 after buying ''Burton's Gentleman's Magazine'' and ...

and published from 1840 to 1858. It was alternatively referred to as ''Graham's Lady's and Gentleman's Magazine'' (1841–1842, and July 1843 – June 1844), ''Graham's Magazine of Literature and Art'' (January 1844 – June 1844), ''Graham's American Monthly Magazine of Literature and Art'' (July 1848 – June 1856), and ''Graham's Illustrated Magazine of Literature, Romance, Art, and Fashion'' (July 1856 – 1858). The journal was founded after the merger of ''

Burton's Gentleman's Magazine ''Burton's Gentleman's Magazine and American Monthly Review'' (sometimes ''...and Monthly American Review'' or, more simply, ''Burton's Magazine''), was a literary publication published in Philadelphia from 1837 to 1840. Its founder was William Ev ...

'' and ''Atkinson's Casket'' in 1840. Publishing short stories, critical reviews, and music as well as information on fashion, Graham intended the journal to reach all audiences including both men and women. He offered the high payment of $5 per page, successfully attracting some of the best-known writers of the day. It also became known for its engravings and artwork. ''Graham's'' may have been the first magazine in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

to copyright each issue.

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

became the editor of ''Graham's'' in February 1841 and soon was publishing the harsh critical reviews for which he became known. It was also where he first published "

The Murders in the Rue Morgue "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in ''Graham's Magazine'' in 1841. It has been described as the first modern detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". C. Auguste Du ...

", now recognized as the first

detective story Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as specu ...

. After Poe left the journal, his successor was

Rufus Wilmot Griswold Rufus Wilmot Griswold (February 13, 1815 – August 27, 1857) was an American anthologist, editor, poet, and critic. Born in Vermont, Griswold left home when he was 15 years old. He worked as a journalist, editor, and critic in Philadelphia, New Y ...

, a man who bitterly disliked Poe. ''Graham's'' began rejecting Poe's submissions and passed up the chance to publish "

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myst ...

". Graham left his magazine for a time in 1848 and it eventually ceased in 1858.

History

In December 1840, Graham had just acquired ''

'' for $3,500, paying a dollar for each of its 3,500 subscribers, and merged it with another recently purchased magazine, ''Atkinson's Casket'', which only had 1500 subscribers.Sova, Dawn B. ''Edgar Allan Poe: A to Z''. New York: Checkmark Books, 2001: 39. The ''Casket'', subtitled "Flowers of Literature, Wit, and Sentiment" had been in existence since 1826 and, despite the small subscriber base, was flourishing financially.Hutchisson, James M. ''Poe''. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2005: 108. Graham intended his new magazine to be popular amongst both men and women, containing fashion, photographs, music, short stories and critical reviews. He also hoped to reach out to both mainstream audiences and those with more refined tastes.Pattee, Fred Lewis. ''The First Century of American Literature: 1770–1870''. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1966: 498. Graham was not a writer himself, other than a section at the back of each issue called "Graham's Small Talk", and so relied heavily on contributors.Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. ''The Literary History of Philadelphia''. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1906: 275. To that end, Graham made sure it was popular amongst writers as a well-paying journal; the $5 standard become known as a "Graham page". Other journals at the time were paying the standard rate of $1 per page. His attempt at attracting the best contributors worked: Contributors to the magazine included

William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the ''New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poetry ...

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...

James Russell Lowell James Russell Lowell (; February 22, 1819 – August 12, 1891) was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the fireside poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets that r ...

, Christopher Pearse Cranch,

Fitz-Greene Halleck Fitz-Greene Halleck (July 8, 1790 – November 19, 1867) was an American poet and member of the Knickerbocker Group. Born and raised in Guilford, Connecticut, he went to New York City at the age of 20, and lived and worked there for nearly fo ...

George D. Prentice George Dennison Prentice (December 18, 1802 – January 22, 1870) was an American newspaper editor, writer and poet who built the ''Louisville Journal'' into a major newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Ohio River Valley, in part by the vir ...

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

Horace Binney Wallace Horace Binney Wallace (February 26, 1817 – December 16, 1852) was an attorney, a critic of art and literature, and an accomplished author. He was a member of the Bar of Philadelphia. Biography Horace Binney Wallace was born on South Fourth ...

, and Phoebe Cary. Not all writers, however, were paid. A notice in the May 1841 issue read:

James Fenimore Cooper James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was an American writer of the first half of the 19th century, whose historical romances depicting colonist and Indigenous characters from the 17th to the 19th centuries brought ...

was reportedly the highest-paid contributor to ''Graham's'', receiving $1,600 for the serial "The Islets of the Gulf, or Rose-Budd", later published as '' Jack Tier, or The Florida Reefs''. He received another $1,000 for a series of biographies on distinguished naval commanders.Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. ''The Literary History of Philadelphia''. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1906: 273. ''Graham's'' at one point was advertised as having the most distinctive list of contributors ever achieved by any American magazine. Graham's boasted that many issues of his magazine cost $1,500 for "authorship" alone.Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. ''The Literary History of Philadelphia''. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1906: 274. ''Graham's'' may have been the first magazine in America to copyright each issue. By March 1842, ''Graham's Magazine'' was issuing 40,000 copies. This boom was reflective of a changing market in American readership.

John Sartain John Sartain (October 24, 1808 – October 25, 1897) was an English-born American artist who pioneered mezzotint engraving in the United States. Biography John Sartain was born in London, England. He learned line engraving, and produced several o ...

believed its success was due to the appeal of the engravings he provided for each issue.Quinn, Arthur Hobson. ''Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography''. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998: 330. ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

'' reported that the August 1841 issue of ''Graham's'' cost $1,300 for these "embellishments". The ''Post'' reported April 30, 1842: "It is doubtful, if engravings of equal beauty ever adorned an American work". Typical engravings in ''Graham's'' included bridges, happy maids, and scenes which focused on peaceful domestic life and promoted marriage. The editorial staff grew to include "two lady editors", Ann S. Stephens and

Emma Catherine Embury Emma Catherine Embury (née Manley; February 25, 1806 – February 10, 1863) was an American author and poet. Under the pen name of "Ianthe", she contributed to the periodicals of the day, and may be considered among the pioneers of female lite ...

Poe as editor

Graham hired

as a critic and editor in February 1841 at an annual salary of $800. Poe suspended his plans to start his own journal, ''

The Penn ''The Stylus'', originally intended to be named ''The Penn'', was a would-be periodical owned and edited by Edgar Allan Poe. It had long been a dream of Poe to establish an American journal with very high standards in order to elevate the literatu ...

'', to work for Graham, who promised to help subsidize Poe's entrepreneurial endeavor within a year, though he never did.Meyers, Jeffrey. ''Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy''. Cooper Square Press, 1992: 141. Poe complained about the content of ''Graham's''; he particularly disliked "the contemptible pictures, fashion-plates, music and love tales" for which the magazine was known. Graham, however, was aware of Poe's status as an author and critic and knew he would increase the magazine's popularity. He introduced his new editor in the pages of the magazine: "Mr. POE is too well known in the literary world to require a word of commendation." Poe had an assistant editor who aided in corresponding with contributors, allowing him enough free time to write his own stories. Poe also had a decent relationship with Graham and took advantage of the editorial control he was granted. The magazine was the first to publish "

", "

A Descent into the Maelström "A Descent into the Maelström" is an 1841 short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. In the tale, a man recounts how he survived a shipwreck and a whirlpool. It has been grouped with Poe's tales of ratiocination and also labeled an early f ...

", "The Island of the Fay", "The Mask Of The Red Death - A Fantasy", and others. He also reviewed Charles Dickens's ''

The Old Curiosity Shop ''The Old Curiosity Shop'' is one of two novels (the other being ''Barnaby Rudge'') which Charles Dickens published along with short stories in his weekly serial ''Master Humphrey's Clock'', from 1840 to 1841. It was so popular that New York r ...

'', Nathaniel Hawthorne's '' Twice-Told Tales'', and works by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and '' Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely trans ...

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

and many others. He also further built up his reputation as a harsh literary critic, causing

to suggest Poe sometimes mistook "his phial of

prussic acid Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an in ...

for his inkstand".Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. ''The Literary History of Philadelphia''. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1906: 282. With ''Graham's'', Poe also launched his ''Literati of New York'' series, which purportedly analyzes the

signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...

s of well-known figures in the New York scene, but which featured Poe taking pot-shots at their personalities. ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pen ...

'' in October 1841 called Poe's article "the most singular, and at the same time, the most interesting article" in the magazine. Poe left Graham's employ in April 1842 but still made occasional contributions. In 1847, he voluntarily took a cut in the usual payment to $4 per page to cover a debt he owed to Graham. Though he originally called his salary "liberal," Poe would later complain of his "nambypamby" payment of $800 per year when compared to Graham's alleged $25,000 in profit.Silverman, Kenneth: ''Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance''. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991: 216. A possibly

apocryphal Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...

story is that Poe returned to the office in April 1842 after a brief illness to find Charles Peterson, another editor, sitting at his desk and performing his duties. Upset, he impulsively resigned on the spot. By then, however, he had already made a significant impact on ''Graham's''. A year after Poe's departure, Philadelphia editor

George Lippard George Lippard (April 10, 1822February 9, 1854) was a 19th-century American novelist, journalist, playwright, social activist, and labor organizer. He was a popular author in antebellum America. A friend of Edgar Allan Poe, Lippard advocated a s ...

said, "It was Mr. Poe that made Graham's Magazine what ''it was'' a year ago; it was his intellect that gave this now weak and flimsy periodical a tone of refinement and mental vigor".

After Poe

, a well-known critic and anthologist as well as Poe's greatest rival, took over editing after Poe's departure in April 1842. The replacement was so quick, a rumor persisted for years that Poe went to work one day and saw Griswold already in his chair. Though the story is not true, Griswold's hiring and Poe's departure were somewhat controversial. As reported in the Washington ''Index'' Jesse E. Dow wrote: "We would give more for Edgar A. Poe's toe nail, than we would for Rueful Grizzle's soul, unless we wanted a milk-strainer. Them's our sentiments." Griswold was reportedly paid a salary of $1000 a year, $200 more than Poe. As an editor, Griswold had some success, including a contract with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to write for ''Graham's'' exclusively for a time. Longfellow was paid about $50 for each poem printed. ''Graham's'' was also the first to publish Longfellow's play ''The Spanish Student'' in 1842; he was paid $150 for it. By September 1842, Graham was unhappy with Griswold's work and made an offer for Poe to return, though he refused. Late in 1844 Poe offered first publication of "

" to Graham, who turned it down. Some accounts say Graham may have given $15 to Poe as a friendly charity, but that he did not like the poem. Graham made it up to Poe a short while later by publishing the essay "

The Philosophy of Composition "The Philosophy of Composition" is an 1846 essay written by American writer Edgar Allan Poe that elucidates a theory about how good writers write when they write well. He concludes that length, "unity of effect" and a logical method are importa ...

" in which Poe tells of his inspiration for his famous poem and his theories on good writing. Joseph Ripley Chandler and

Bayard Taylor Bayard Taylor (January 11, 1825December 19, 1878) was an American poet, literary critic, translator, travel author, and diplomat. As a poet, he was very popular, with a crowd of more than 4,000 attending a poetry reading once, which was a record ...

also had short runs as editorial assistants for the magazine in 1848 and Edwin Percy Whipple was its main literary critic for a time.

Decline

In 1848, after some financial difficulties caused by poor

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...

investments, Graham sold the magazine to Samuel Dewee Patterson, though he retained the title of editor.Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. ''The Literary History of Philadelphia''. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1906: 277. Sartain, whose engravings had become an important part of ''Graham's'', left to found his own journal, ''Sartain's Union Magazine'', in 1849. People who sympathized with Graham's difficulties helped him regain some of his fortune and he bought back his interest in the magazine in 1850. Competition with '' Harper's New Monthly Magazine'' beginning in that year caused significant drops in subscriptions, as did the lack of an international copyright.

Charles Godfrey Leland Charles Godfrey Leland (August 15, 1824 – March 20, 1903) was an American humorist and folklorist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was educated at Princeton University and in Europe. Leland worked in journalism, travelled extensi ...

took over when Graham left the magazine in 1853 or 1854 and ''Graham's Magazine'' ceased publication in 1858.Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. ''The Literary History of Philadelphia''. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1906: 284.

References

External links

* {{FadedPage, id=Graham, George R., name=Graham's Magazine, author=yes
''The Casket and Graham's Magazine''
a
Edgar Allan Poe Society online''Graham's Magazine''
at

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