''Metropolitan'' was an American magazine, published monthly from 1895 to 1925 in New York City. Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was editor of the magazine during World War I when it focused on politics and literature. It was sometimes named, or called, ''Metropolitan Magazine'' or ''The Metropolitan'', and its final issues were published as ''Macfadden's Fiction-Lover's Magazine''.

Publication history

''Metropolitan Magazine'' began in 1895 as a "naughty picture magazine selling sex sationalism" in its earliest issues. In 1897 the ''Metropolitan'' featured suggestive photos of Nellie Melba the opera singer and of Yvette Guilbert reclined in her boudoir, which was very risque for the time. John Brisben Walker was its first editor and

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

. In 1898, the magazine built a more sophisticated reputation as a magazine for theater-goers in New York featuring writings by Kipling and Conrad. In 1902, the magazine was sold along with ''The Daily Telegraph'' for $100,000 to Col. George Harvey, president of the publishing company Harper & Brothers. Harvey said that "in purchasing ''The Metropolitan'' I bought simply a name", and that the chief mission of the periodical should be urban life in New York. He named John Kendrick Bangs the new editor. Harry Payne Whitney was owner of the magazine for a time during the 1910s.

The Mexican Revolution and World War I

During the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

, initiated late in 1910, ''Metropolitan'' sent John Reed to Mexico to report. The journalist met Pancho Villa and stayed with his troops for four months. Reed was sent to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

as a war correspondent during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. However, some of his articles were rejected as having

leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

sympathies. During the 1914 to 1918 war, ''Metropolitan'' frequently contained articles critical of United States President Woodrow Wilson. In 1918 the New York

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

was told to be on his guard for issues commenting on Wilson's foreign policy. There were rumors that the post office was considering revoking the publication's second class mail privileges, but its issues continued to be delivered. Former President Theodore Roosevelt had become an editor of the magazine in 1914 for $25,000 a year, on a three-year contract because he intended to retire from politics and writing. In the event, however, Roosevelt himself wrote many essays criticizing Wilson for his handling of the war. He argued passionately against the neutrality of the United States, writing, "We earn as a nation measureless scorn and contempt if we follow the lead of those who exalt peace over righteousness, if we heed the voice of those feeble folk who bleat to high Heaven for peace when there is no peace." Roosevelt worked on editorial articles for ''Metropolitan'' until his death in January 1919. His last action was to write a letter to his son Theodore Jr. with the proofs for his last article in the magazine. In 1919 ''Metropolitan'' launched the Metropolitan Newspaper Service (MNS), which a

syndicated Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

content from the magazine including the column ''Fairchild Fashions'', the writings of

Margot Asquith Emma Margaret Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith (' Tennant; 2 February 1864 – 28 July 1945), known as Margot Asquith, was a British socialite, author. She was married to H. H. Asquith, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 18 ...

, the comic strip ''Dickey's Dogs'', and more. In the spring of 1920, MNS was acquired by the Bell Syndicate,"Feature Services Merged: Bell Syndicate Takes Over Metropolitan Newspaper Service"
''Editor and Publisher'' (April 3, 1920). which kept it as a separate division. It was overseen by Maximilian Elser, Jr."United Feature Syndicate Buys Metropolitan Service from Elser: Both Firms Will Retain Separate Identities, with Elser Remaining as Vice-President — Monte Bourjaily to Direct Both Organizations", ''Editor and Publisher'' (March 15, 1930). Reprinted as blog conten

''Stripper's Guide'' (May 4, 2010).

Decline

Bernarr Macfadden bought ''Metropolitan Magazine'' in January 1923 on the urging of his Supervising Editor Fulton Oursler, and launched its new era with an abridged serialization of Theodore Dreiser's banned novel '' The Genius''. The first Macfadden issue was dated February–March 1923 but it continued as a monthly. Fulton Oursler's first serious novels, ''Behold This Dreamer!'' and ''Sandalwood'' were also serialized. When the magazine's fortunes didn't improve, the title was changed to ''Macfadden Fiction-Lovers Magazine'' with the October 1924 issue. Its last issue was August 1925.

Selected contributors

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and short story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in t ...

* Richard Harding Davis * Theodore Dreiser *

Larry Evans (novelist) Larry Evans may refer to: * Larry Evans (American football) (born 1953), American football linebacker * Larry Evans (author) (died 1925), American writer * Larry Evans (chess player) Larry Melvyn Evans (March 22, 1932 – November 15, 2010) w ...

* Edna Ferber * F. Scott Fitzgerald *

John Galsworthy John Galsworthy (; 14 August 1867 – 31 January 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include ''The Forsyte Saga'' (1906–1921) and its sequels, ''A Modern Comedy'' and ''End of the Chapter''. He won the Nobel Prize i ...

* Katharine Fullerton Gerould * Maurice Hewlett * Rupert Hughes * Rudyard Kipling * Jack London * Compton Mackenzie * John Masefield * Clarence E. Mulford *Sir Gilbert Parker * John Reed * Theodore Roosevelt * Booth Tarkington * Henry Kitchell Webster

References

External links