Magazines and people

Book reviews are always a nice feature. The WSJ has had one in its weekend edition that has been enjoyable. The weekend of 02/15/2020, the review had several books of interest to us. For one, there was one about the founder of McClure's that ran 1893 to 1929. He had a longer run than Dr. Frank's The Massachusetts Magazine (1908-1918), however the scope was entirely different. But, McClure's co-founder had Sanborn and Phillips in his name. So, yes, his lineage is out of old New England. We are always interested in that connection.

Earlier in the year, Ida Tarbell was featured in a review. She, too, is of New England through her father. We will have more about her through time. Now, though, we need to mention The American Magazine which she founded with friends, including Phillips, after leaving McClure's. They converted an existing magazine.

Why the interest in magazines? Partly, Dr. Frank's effort is a factor, however we have researched several families involved in this type of effort. Of course, we know of The Atlantic Monthly. But, as the WSJ review noted, once the majority of the populace could read, they wanted to do so. Magazines filled the bill.

The Great Emancipators 

WSJ Feb 15, 2020

Let's stop a minute to list some of our posts on the subject: Spirit of '76; Magazine: American museum; Lyceum; TMM, a review. The web/cloud has brought in whole new dynamics (e-zine, for one).

In that same WSJ review collection, there was one about a book that looks at the Grand old Party. It's founding was in 1854. When we talk American 100s, included is a suggestion that locales are important to the essence of the U.S. (Locales and their history); hence, we have several posts related to places and names, though we ought to extend the range for this type of post.

GOP. In the book, there are three references that can catch our eye. We have mentioned all three: Brown, Stearns, Higginson. In what context? The Secret Six. These were supporters of John Brown who got the attention of the Federal law-keepers after the Harper's Ferry ordeal (Col. T.W. Higginson, Julie Ward Howe's husband, and F. B. Sanborn, among others). The book reviewer notes that TWH is not given as much attention as he ought. 

Of course, there are other book reviews published on a regular basis. We have done a few ourselves and ought to do  more: Albion's Seed; The First Seventeen Years, Virginia; Chronicles of Old Salem; Such men are dangerous ...

Doing such reviews might become a regular feature of The Gardner Annals for which Vol. V, No. 1 is being prepared. 

Remarks: Modified: 03/04/2020

03/04/2020 --