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Edward Cave Junior, and his Gentleman’s Magazine…
March 24, 2014 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
A few months ago we wrote about what is considered by many to be the most successful literary magazine of all time, The Gentleman’s Magazine. While RareNewspapers.com continues to offer many original issues of this title from the 18th and early 29th centuries, few know of the magazine’s or its founder, Edward Cave, Junior. A collector friend recently came across a wonderful posting by The Society of 18th-Century Gentleman which goes into considerable detail concerning both. An excerpt includes:
“…Edward Cave eventually purchased a small print house and shortly after began The Gentleman’s Magazine. The first issue appeared in January of 1731. Cave quickly became a highly respected publisher and businessman, and “a multitude of magazines arose” all over the world. The magazine was soon the most well-known and highly respected publication in the English language. It is widely believed that Mr. Cave was the first person ever to use the term “magazine” to describe a monthly publication of this type…”
If you’ve never perused this little gem, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with its detailed coverage of events of the day.
When did the “Gentleman’s Magazine” print the Declaration of Independence?
November 14, 2011 by TimHughes · 5 Comments
Fellow collector Michael Gulvin asks a question which many other collectors may have wondered: “On what day of the month did the Gentleman’s Magazine for August, 1776 become available? We have a time-line for the American newspapers, and we know that the London Chronicle printed the Declaration in its August 17th issue, but do we know the actual date the Gentleman’s Magazine printed the Declaration of Independence for its August issue?”
Magazines typically published very late in the month shown on the title/contents page. With the “London Chronicle” publishing the Declaration of Independence in its August 17, 1776 issue, and presuming they had interest in publishing such a significant document as early as possible, it is presumed the Declaration was received in London very close to that date. Their previous issue was dated Aug. 15, so August 15-17 would be the presumed period when the document arrived in London. It is curious to note that the “London Gazette” never printed the Declaration of Independence.
Monthly publications are more difficult to pin down in terms of publication dates, however datelines of news reports found within offer great clues. The Historical Chronicle near the back of the August issue of the “Gentleman’s Magazine” has datelines beginning July 10 and the latest date mentioned is August 31, the very last day of the month. Obviously the magazine could not have printed prior to August 31, so the first day or two of September would be the presumed printing dates.
The same was true with American magazines as I recall the June, 1776 issue of “The Pennsylvania Magazine” had the very significant announcement that Congress had voted to approve the Declaration of Independence, with a dateline of July 2, 1776. Obviously that June issue was printed early the following month.
Gentleman’s Magazine: a little gem packed with history…
December 27, 2013 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
As dealers we have been very true to our focus on rare newspapers, and—for the most part—only newspapers. Yes, we have ventured into the occasional old document, pamphlet, colonial currency and the other items I’ve found intriguing, but otherwise we offer only historic newspapers.
But one big exception has been 18th century magazines. As is likely the case with most collectors of history, the over-riding aim is to find historic news reports dated as early as possible, and the availability of newspapers runs quite thin before 1760 (the London Chronicle dates to 1755 and is the single biggest source of period reports back to this period) if British titles are accepted, and only back to about 1787 if American newspapers are the only option.
It was many years ago that I discovered one of the best titles of the 18th century for period news reporting, and it wasn’t even a newspaper. It is a magazine. More specifically, “The Gentleman’s Magazine” from London. Having begun in 1731, its pages captured news reports concerning America which could never be found in period American newspapers, and rarely found in period British newspapers. From its earliest years “The Gentleman’s Magazine” printed reports on the creation of the colony of Georgia, the founding of the town of Savannah, with many issues mentioning James Olgethorpe. From 1736 are reports of William Penn laying out the city of Philadelphia, and the 1730’s has several reports of pirates operating in the Caribbean and the Atlantic, as well as famous highwayman Dick Turpin. Slave revolts in Jamaica, “Customs of the Jews” and other smaller reports from the American colonies round on the 1730’s.
The 1740’s have several items on the slavery issue which would be a topic of discussion on both sides of the Atlantic well into the 19th century. And relating to slavery are several issues of the 1770’s on famous slave/poet Phillis Wheatley.
There are early reports on the sport of cricket, and much on the Jacobite Rebellion including mention of “Bonnie Prince Charlie”. Other curious reports from the 1740’s include text on Handel and his “Messiah”, Ben Franklin mention with various electricity experiments, the death of astronomer Edmund Halley, the origin of the game of chess, and a curious item on a northwest passage to China through Canada. Military events in periodicals are never-ending, and this decade prints the text of the Treaty of Aix la Chapelle, among many other military events.
The 1750’s are highlighted by much reporting on the French & Indian War between the French & the British, with mention of Quebec, Crown Point, Fort DuQuesne and all the other major battle sites. Keep in mind that the American colonies were British possessions at the time so there was much interest in
“The Gentleman’s Magazine” has nice reporting on Ben Franklin’s lightening rod experiments, and there is also a terrific—although inconspicuous—mention of what would become known to all Americans as the Liberty Bell. Under the heading: “America” and with a “Philadelphia, May 10” dateline from 1753 is a report reading:
“Last week was raised and fixed, in the State-House Steeple, the great bell, weighing 2080 lb. cast here, with this inscription,
‘Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, to the inhabitants thereof.” This is how they reported the installation of what would become known as the Liberty Bell.England in reporting events relative to the colonies. A special feature of Gentleman’s was their very early mention of George Washington, a Major in the Virginia military in 1754 and 1755 when he lead others into battle in Pennsylvania. Such mention of Washington in an American newspaper would result in a price well beyond the budget of most collectors.
The 1760’s in “The Gentleman’s Magazine” are highlighted by the growing tensions between the colonies and England. The full text of the hated Stamp Act is found within its pages, and just a year later is found the formal repeal of the Stamp Act by the British King. Other Acts of Parliament harmful to colonial relations are reported as well.
News from the 1770’s begin with the Boston Massacre (and the trial details of those involved), reported in Gentleman’s in nice detail. All the events of the Revolutionary War received excellent coverage, from the Boston Tea Party to Lexington & Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill, Saratoga, White Plains, Ticonderoga, Cowpens, Guilford Court House and the other military initiatives of the war with considerable mention of George Washington, Gage, Gates, Burgoyne, Ethan Allen, Howe, Greene, Cornwallis, John Paul Jones, and others. There is even much detail on the infamous Benedict Arnold/Major Andre treason.
Historic documents are found within the pages of “Gentleman’s Magazine” as well, including the Articles of Confederation, the “Causes & Necessity for Taking Up Arms”, the Constitution of the United States (in 1787), and the most desired document of all, the Declaration of Independence. At a time when a period printing of the Declaration in an American newspaper will sell for over a quarter of a million dollars, to be able to purchase a 1776 magazine with a timely printing of the Declaration of Independence for under $4000 is a rare opportunity for any collector.
The 1780’s begin with the closing events of the Revolutionary War, including the surrender of Cornwallis to Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, and shortly thereafter the formal text of the Treaty which ended the Revolutionary War. There are reports on Captain James Cook’s famous voyages of exploration, the obituary of Benjamin Franklin, and with attention focusing more on European reports later in the decade are reports of the fall of the Bastille and the French Revolution, and into the 1790’s with the mutiny on the Bounty, the guillotine execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, then into the early 19th century with the Battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo. Gentleman’s also printed the text of Washington’s final state-of-the-union address, and then just a few years later, his death.
A very nice bonus found in many of the pages of Gentleman’s is maps & plates. They cannot be found in newspapers of the day. Printed separately from the regular pages of the issue and tipped within, most of the maps fold out to be double the size of the issue, and they includes some of the more desired maps one would want of the 18th century, including Philadelphia, the colonies (from 1755), Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, the Caribbean, St. Augustine, the entire western hemisphere and so much more. Many collectors choose to frame the maps separate from the issue as they are very decorative and are typically dated in an upper corner.
Plates include the Philadelphia State House, later to be known as Independence Hall; St. Philip’s Church in Charleston, the fort at Bunker’s Hill, Ben Franklin’s ‘Square of Squares’, the guillotine which beheaded Louis XVI and his wife, a slavery medal, and even a plate of the Garden of Eden. Plus there is so much more.
The “Gentleman’s Magazine” is a little gem packed with all the history one would want to find from the 18th century. Measuring about 5 by 8 inches and typically having about 40 pages they take up very little room in a collection. But best of all it is an accessible title, and at prices far below what would be found in comparable American & British newspapers of the same period.
There can be little excuse for holding back on buying the best events in American history if one is willing to add this famous & successful title to their collection. And there certainly will be a time when even this title will become very scarce as others discovery it as the little gem just begging to be collected.
Note: Rather than include an endless number of (annoying) links above, if you have interest in any of the topics discussed, simply go to the following link and enter the topic into the search field: www.RareNewspapers.com
Print date for the Gentleman’s Magazine…
July 23, 2012 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
Actual printing dates of monthly magazines have always been difficult to establish, but some times dated news reports will give some indication. An advertisement for the Gentleman’s Magazine in the “Daily Post-Boy” of London, September 4, 1732, provides a valuable clue for the earliest issues of this title (it began publishing in 1731). Note that the advertisement has at the top: “September 2 was published…The Gentleman’s Magazine…for August, 1732…”. So at least during the early years of this magazine’s existence it printed a few days after the end of the month.
Another interesting tidbit is provided in this advertisement as well. We knew that the first several issues of the first year of “Gentleman’s Magazine” printed at least six editions, as some were noted as such on the title/contents page, but we never knew when they were reprinted. Note the very bottom of this advertisements mentions: “…Where may be had, The former Numbers, except Numb 1 and Numb. II which will be republished a 4th Time in a few days.” This indicates that the fifth edition of the January and February, 1731 issues were printed in the first week of September, 1732.
Collectible Magazines… Rich West… Periodyssey – Part II
April 13, 2009 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
Tammy Kahn Fennell at Collectibles Corner TV recently completed part II of her interview with Rich West of Periodyssey fame. Part II of the interview begins at the 3:32 mark; however, if you have the time, the entire episode is worth watching. Thanks Tammy… and Rich.
Episode #10 – Depression Glass, Colophon, Rich West of Periodyssey part 2, Get Me Video
Note from the previous post re: the interview with Rich:
Although Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers’ archives contain nearly every issue of Gentleman’s Magazine, Harper’s Weekly (actually an illustrated newspaper), Harper’s Monthly, The Sporting News, and a selection of others (Liberty Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Scribner’s, etc.), including many of these and others beyond what is posted on the Rare & Early Newspapers website, the Timothy Hughes of magazine collecting is Rich West of Periodyssey. He operates with integrity, has an incredible inventory of magazines to offer, and is the most knowledgeable resource in the field of magazine collectibles.
Collectible Magazines… Rich West… Periodyssey…
April 1, 2009 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
Although Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers’ archives contain nearly every issue of Gentleman’s Magazine, Harper’s Weekly (actually an illustrated newspaper), Harper’s Monthly, The Sporting News, and a selection of others (Liberty Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Scribner’s, etc.), including many of these and others beyond what is posted on the Rare & Early Newspapers website, the Timothy Hughes of magazine collecting is Rich West of Periodyssey. He operates with integrity, has an incredible inventory of magazines to offer, and is the most knowledgeable resource in the field of magazine collectibles. Lou Kahn and his daughter Tammy Kahn Fennell recently interviewed Rich for Collectibles Corner TV. Feel free to enjoy the entire video or advance to the 5 minute mark to catch only the portion of the show containing the interview with Rich. Rumor has it they’ll be doing a follow-up interview with Rich West shortly. Please Enjoy:
Episode #9 – Occupied Japan, Provenance, Antique Quilts, American Periodicals, Rich West of Periodyssey
18th century American magazines: one to share…
February 2, 2009 by TimHughes · 3 Comments
Magazines published in 18th century America were relative few & far between when compared with newspapers of the same era. From the first magazine in 1741 through the Revolutionary War only 18 magazine titles were published, most lasting but a few issues. During the Revolutionary War only one magazine was in print, and it only lasted from January, 1775 through July, 1776, this last issue containing the Declaration of Independence.
Magazines have always been of interest to me since almost all titles carried various news of the day, typically within the back several pages, much like the British “Gentleman’s Magazine” had done since 1731. Some American magazines contained plates as well, but finding issues with the plates still intact can be extremely difficult and frustrating. The more noteworthy the plate, the less likely it will be present, typically removed by some previous owner many years ago. So when issues come on the market with significant plates still bound within the issue, it’s a moment of much excitement.
Here is one from our private collection, The Columbian Magazine from Philadelphia dated January, 1787, which contains a full page plate of “General Washington”, in addition to a foldout plate of the “Meteorological Observations” for the month of December, 1786. We are pleased to share these photos with our fellow collectors, and wish all of you the great luck in finding your own American magazine with notable prints!
One that didn’t get away: a golden nugget discovered within an 1884 newspaper…
August 11, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Over the years we have emphasized one of the pleasures that is relatively unique to the hobby of collecting rare and early newspapers; that is, discovering hidden gems within their pages. These “finds” are most-often unearthed by those who call to tell us what we missed, and their stories rarely disappoint. In some cases the golden nuggets may significantly impact the collectible value of the issue – such as finding a period mention of Abraham Lincoln prior to him entering the national stage buried deep within a newspaper, or, thanks to the advanced search capabilities now available through the internet, learning that an unsigned letter in an issue of The Gentleman’s Magazine out of London was actually written by Ben Franklin. However, in other instances the value gained is personal.
Such was the case with the January 1, 1884 issue of The Prattsburgh Breeze (NY) – and thankfully, it was discovered while we still had the issue in hand. We already knew it was the 1st issue (vol. 1, #1) of this extremely rare title, and it was listed as such. However, when someone from a (ok, “an”) historical society contacted us to ask if there was a mention of a the neighboring town, as we carefully read through the pages, we discovered the following:
While this may not seem significant to most, it delighted my wife who is an avid fan of all things Joel Chandler Harris in general, and Uncle Remus in particular. If you are unfamiliar with either Mr. Harris or the beloved Uncle Remus, a deep dive into this tandem will be well-rewarded.
Since the saying ‘Happy wife, happy life’ is emphatically true—and since this discovery just upgraded my wife’s happiness—once again, I am compelled to proclaim: ‘I love this hobby!’.
Where game history, moral philosophy, and educational theory collide…
June 9, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
Ben Franklin’s contributions to The Gentleman’s Magazine of the 18th century are well documented, and in multiple instances, quite collectible. A handful of the his more noteworthy appearances include several regarding electricity, the “Magic Square of Squares”, “On the Increase in Mankind”, “Albany Union Plan”, and “The Speech of Miss Poly Baker”. One of the more interesting is his desirable (from a collecting standpoint) “The Morals of Chess”, which appeared in the July, 1787 issue. A bit of research regarding its significance is as follows:
Benjamin Franklin’s essay The Morals of Chess, written in the late 18th century, is a groundbreaking work that presents chess as more than a game, but as a tool for building moral character. Franklin highlights virtues like courtesy, patience, humility, and attentiveness, which he saw as essential to fair play. This focus on etiquette not only pioneered the concept of sportsmanship in chess but also influenced the formal codes of conduct later embraced by chess clubs and federations, establishing the game as a model for civil behavior.
Beyond etiquette, Franklin uses chess as a metaphor for life, reflecting virtues such as prudence and generosity against vices like rashness and envy. He positions the game as a didactic instrument, capable of teaching both strategic thinking and ethical decision-making. This perspective helped cement the idea that games can mirror real-world challenges, offering lessons in intellect and morality—a notion that resonated with later educators and writers who championed “learning through play.”
Finally, the essay embodies Franklin’s Enlightenment ideals of rationality, self-improvement, and social responsibility. By promoting chess as an accessible activity for all, not just the elite, he democratized it, framing it as a means of personal and civic growth. The Morals of Chess thus transformed the game from a courtly pastime into a lasting symbol of strategic thought and ethical conduct, shaping its role in education and society to this day.
Additional details can be viewed on our website at: Franklin’s Morals of Chess
Snapshot 1768 – Ben Franklin’s thoughts on the poor…
April 7, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
I am currently reading “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” (by Walter Isaacson), and often struggle to put it down. One of the many new things I’ve learned about Franklin: he was always a “work in progress”. Many of his views on significant topics of the day changed over his lifetime – often as a result of his ongoing quest for new information. He was certainly the poster-child for a “life-long learner”.
Two among these adjustments were his thoughts regarding the capabilities of blacks (specifically slaves), and his royalist (devotion to England) inclinations – both which morphed into positions more in line with current thought. However, one stance which stood the test of time and adjusted only microscopically (if at all) was his strong posture towards personal industry – regardless of one’s societal rank. If you were poor, you should work to the best of your abilities in all you do. If you were wealthy, your industry should overflow into looking for ways to contribute to the betterment of society – which included caring for those who were less fortunate. While he was always compassionate toward those at the bottom of the economic ladder, he was also a firm believer in the mantra: “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” He was convinced that handouts to those who were not industrious would only inspire others to join the ranks of the lazy. As harsh as this sounds, his attitude towards those who personally consumed the bulk of their own abundance was no less gracious.
While he spoke on this topic quite often, he put his thoughts to paper through a letter printed in The Gentleman’s Magazine for April, 1768: “Hardheartedness to the Poor Considered”. As was often the case, he signed it using one of his many pseudonyms (Medius). The entire letter is shown below. Whether you agree with his stance or not, one can not argue that he was being vague.
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