Gents Mag, review of volumes
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review of volumes | ||
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Notes on the Magazine Features |
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book features tabulated | ||
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Title and Imprint |
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| title |
The magazine title changes over time, but always
retaining the prime title
The Gentleman's Magazine Secondary titles are:- |
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| 1731 |
Traders' Monthly Intelligencer
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| 1732 to 1735 |
Monthly Intelligencer
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| 1736 to 1833 |
Historical Chronicle
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| 1853 to 1866 |
Historical Review
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| imprint |
The imprint on the volume title page is recorded, and
presented in the tabulation (above); the imprint on the
monthly issues is usually shorter but occasionally has extra
information. The editor is always:-
Sylvanus Urban Which was first a pseudonym for Edward Cave. The other people mentioned in the imprint are:- Edward Cave: 1731 to 1753. F Jefferies: 1731 to 1734. Henry: 1732 to 1734. Henry, D or Henry, David: 1754 to 1791. Newbery, F: 1767 to 1777. Newbery, E or Newbery, Elizabeth, perhaps the relict of F Newbery: 1778 to 1800. Nichols, J or Nichols, John: 1781 to 1799. Nichols and Son or Nichols, J and Son1800 to 1826. Nichols, J B or Nichols, John Bowyer or Nichols, J B and Son, etc: 1801 to 1856. Nichols, J G with J B Nichols: 1749. Bentley, with J B Nichols: 1812 to 1817. Harris, J or Harris, John: 1801 to 1832. Perthes and Besser, agents in Germany: 1814 to 1832. William Pickering: 1833 to 1843, and 1849. Parker, J or Parker, James: 1849 and 1857 to 1865. Deighton, J and J J: 1849. Wiley and Putnam: 1849. John Henry: 1857 to 1865. Bradbury, Evans and Co: 1866 to 1870. W H Allen: 1871. Grant and Co: 1871 to 1876. Chatto and Windus: 1877 to ? The date ranges must be taken as approximate. The list suggests some interesting research into printer/publisher names. |
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Volumes and Pagination |
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| volumes |
Volume numbering begins simply; one volume per year, for
twelve monthly issues, perhaps with a supplement at the end
of the year. 1731 January to December is volume 1. After
1830, volume 100, the volume numbering becomes less regular,
and sometimes chaotic.
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One part, one volume per year.
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| 1731 to 1783 |
Volumes 1 to 53 (true numbers 1 to 53).
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Two parts per year, numbered as one volume.
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| 1784 to 1833 |
Volumes 54 to 103 (true numbers 54 to 153).
A new series declared from 1808 to 1830 had an extra number in parallel, numbers 1 to 23 |
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Two parts per year, numbered as separate volumes.
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| 1834 to 1856 |
Volumes 1 to 46 (true numbers 154 to 199).
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| 1857 to 1865 |
1st issue numbered both vol.1 and vol.2, then 3 to 19
(true numbers 200 to 217).
Incorrectly described as numbers 202 to 219 since commencement. |
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| 1866 to 1868 part 1 |
Volumes 1 to 5 (true numbers 218 to 222).
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| 1868 part 2 to 1876 |
Volumes 1 to 17 (true numbers 223 to 239).
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| 1877 to 1880 part 1 |
Volumes 240 to 246 (true numbers 240 to 246)
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| 1880 part 2 to 1907 part 1 |
Volumes 249 to 302 (true number 247 to 300).
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| pagination |
Early pagination is straightforward, start at 1 on the
January title page and count to the end of December or the
supplement; this continues to 1783. Excepting 1732 which has
anomolous pagination. Front and end matter, volume title,
preface, indexes, and so on are not in the sequence. Later
issues include the indexes in the sequence, but not the
front matter.
From 1784 the magazine is in two parts per year, but the pagination is continuous through the two parts. From 1810, although the year is one volume, the two parts are paginated in two sequences from 1 onwards; this makes referencing tricky, beware. From 1830 the two parts carry separate volume numbers. Looking closely, some interesting errors in pagination occur, watch carefully. |
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WARNING
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NOTA BENE: Over the long span of publication the number
of new series and misnumberings of volumes make it essential
for today's researcher to give references by the year, part and page number. The
declared volume number from its title page might be given as
well, but is not very useful.
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volume numbers tabulated | ||
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Indexes, Contents, etc |
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indexing
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Indexing varies from period to period, but for many years
there is a common pattern of four indexes; index to essays
etc, index to books, index to poetry, and index to names.
The order in which they are presented varies. And each
monthly issue had a contents on its title page.
The title page of the first volume, 1731, declared it was published:-
... Together with An ALPHABETICAL INDEX of the NAMES
mentioned throughout the WHOLE, for the easier finding any
Occurrence, Death, Marriage, Birth, Promotion, Accident,
Adventure, or other Circumstance relating to them. ...
The volume index headers for 1735 are typical:-
INDEX TO THE DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS in Parliament, the
ESSAYS, Dissertations, and Historical Passages, foreign and
domestick, in VOL. V. for the Year 1735. / N.B. If the
Reader should not find any Article in these Indexes, he may
be directed to it by perusing the Contents at the beginning
of each Month, which the binder is therefore by no means to
throw away.
INDEX to the POETRY.
INDEX of the Names to the Marriages, Births, Deaths,
Promotions, and Bankrupts.
INDEX to the Register of BOOKS.
From 1766, vol.36, and a number of succeeding volumes, the index to essays etc was split in two; an index to essays etc, and an:-
INDEX to the OCCURRENCES, VOL. XXXIII.
It presumably became increasingly hard to distinguish the categories and the separate concept was abandonned. In this experiment and a trial of more precise name indexing about 1767, it can be seen that the editor/s were actively exploring how indexing worked. In 1767, vol.37, the index for names is broken into separate parts: for births; marriages; deaths; war office, presumably for promotions etc, as mentioned in earlier name index headers; and for bankrupts. The idea of separate name indexes is abandonned later. From the volume for 1784, vol.53, the year's issues are bound in two, and indexing is made separately for each part. The index headers for 1814 are much as before:-
INDEX To the Essays, Dissertations, and Historical
Passages, from January to June 1814.
BOOKS REVIEWED IN VOL. LXXIV. PART I.
INDEX TO MUSICAL PUBLICATIONS.
INDEX TO POETRY.
INDEX TO PLATES IN VOL. LXXXIV,. PART I.
INDEX TO NAMES IN VOL. LXXXIV,. PART I.
The list of plates has become an index. The index to music does not last long. In 1824 the headers show some thought being given to what entries should occur where:-
INDEX TO ESSAYS, DISSERTATIONS, AND HISTORICAL PASSAGES.
/ [3 stars] All the leading Names of the OBITUARY are
distinctly entered in the "Index to the Essays."
INDEX TO NAMES. / [3 stars] The Names of Persons noticed
in the "Compendium of County History," are not included in
this index.
The volume for 1828 has a new index (which doesn't last):-
INDEX TO NOTICES OF FINE ARTS.
From 1857 the indexes are on a new plan. There are three indexes: index to essays which now includes the books; index to names; and a new concept, an index to topography, listed by place. This pattern continues.
INDEX TO ESSAYS, DISSERTATIONS, HISTORICAL PASSAGES, AND
BOOKS REVIEWED. / [3 stars] The Principal Memoirs in the
OBITUARY are distinctly entered in this Iindex.
INDEX TO NAMES. / Including Promotions, Preferments, and
Deaths. - The longer articles of Deaths are entered in the
preceeding Index of Essays, &c.
TOPOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
In 1868 the magazine changes greatly. The only indexing of the entire six issues is a single page labelled contents, this, in alphabetical order is the volume index. It includes an entry under:-
CORRESPONDENCE OF SYLVANUS URBAN
ie letters to the editor. Each month's letters are listed, but month by month, not in alphabetical order. For this first volume of the new series there is an index to obituaries; this is not continued in further issues. The poor indexing, relying on a 'contents' is the pattern for the rest of the life of the magazine. The letters to Sylvanus Urban becomes Table Talk which sometimes has a list of topics, and for a period there is a section of Science Notes. In 1907 the magazine is at the end of its life. and at least it has a proper index, headed:-
INDEX (January to June, 1907)
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| contents |
The early pattern is for each month's title page to have
a list of contents. In the volumes to 1777 this is expanded
on the reverse of the title page. The monthly contents
survives to the 1860s. From 1868 a list of contents is only
given for the volume. Although called Contents it is in
alphabetical order and serves as a volume index.
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| list of plates |
The list might be at the end of the volume, after the
indexes. But it might be placed somewhere else; before the
indexes, after the volume title page, wherever. It feels as
if the compositor made the choice of location on the front
and end matter according to the amount of text to be
set.
In earlier volumes the list of plates is in the order they appear in the volume, instructions to help the binder. In later volumes they might be an alphabetical list, an index to the plates. The list of plates might be called a list of embellishments. Note that: plates may not always bound into their volume in the obvious, or planned position. |
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Miscellaneous |
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| errata |
Errata have not been recorded or studied. There are some
examples in the images made.
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| cancels |
Cancels have not been recorded or studied. There is an
example in the notes.
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