Shelfmark
Fr.3 - Fr.8, Fr.9.28 - Fr.9.32, Fs.5.01 - Fs.5.14, Fs.6 - Fs.9 (Copy 1)
Additional shelfmark
Ib2.3.33 (copy 2)
Additional shelfmark
Idd1.5.horiz.01(06) (copy 3)
Additional shelfmark
Ibb8.5.17 (copy 4)
Uniform title
[Gentleman's magazine (London, England : Monthly)]
Title
The gentleman's magazine / ... by Sylvanus Urban, gent.
Publication, distribution, etc.
London : printed by E[dward]. Cave at St. John's Gate, and sold by the booksellers of town and country; of whom may be had complete setts, [or] any single number, [1736]-1868.
Physical description
v. : ill., maps ; 8vo.
Note
Begun and edited by Edward Cave; 'Sylvanus Urban' is a pseudonym.
Note
Cave's nephew Richard, and his brother-in-law David Henry, inherited the magazine in 1754; John Nichol became associated with the magazine in 1778 and was solely responsible for it from the death of Henry in 1792 until his own death in 1826, when the responsibility for the magazine went to his son, John Bowyer Nichols.
Note
Woodcut of St. John's Gate in center of title, bracketed by names of journals and newspapers commented upon in the text.
Note
Imprints vary; from Oct. 1731-Dec. 1735, imprint name reads: "F[rancis]. Jeffries in Ludgate-street", printer; some issues include the names "T. Dormer" and "S[amuel]. Birt", booksellers (cf. Todd). Price on line below imprint. From Jan. 1736-Dec. 1753, imprint name reads: "E. Cave" or "E. Cave, jun."; in 1754 imprints read in part: "Henry and Cave" or "D[avid]. Henry" and "R[ichard]. Cave"; this latter imprint continues until early 1760 (cf. Todd).
Note
Includes opinions and comment on other currently published newspapers and magazines, a selection of poetry, and a summary of monthly events, deaths, preferments, mortality, commodity prices entitled: Historical Chronicle.
Note
Parliamentary reporting was undertaken by William Guthrie until 1740, when Samuel Johnson took on that responsibility; he was a contributor and editor until the mid-1740s (cf. DNB; Todd).
Note
"The bibliographical history of The Gentleman's magazine is entirely conjectural" (Todd, p.81), as the early numbers were reprinted as many as nine times to meet unexpected demand. In addition to these early re-impressions and re-printings, there have been counterfeits, many subsequent reprints, facsimile reprints and new editions through the 18th and 19th centuries. The description of these issues is based on available copies and the first editions identified by Todd.
Note
Volumes for 1731-1735 have title: The gentleman's magazine or Monthly intelligencer; volumes for 1736-1833 have title: The gentleman's magazine and historica chronicle; volumes for 1834-June 1856 (new series, v. 1-45) have title: The gentleman's magazine; volumes for July 1856-May 1868 (new series, v. 1-24) have title: The gentleman's magazine and historical review.
Citation/references note
ESTC, P1955 (v. 1-5), P1956 (v.6- )
Numbering peculiarities note
Volumes 1-5: No issues numbered; chronological designation only.
Numbering peculiarities note
Volume numbering begins with vol. 6; vol. numbers from running title verso of each issue.
Indexes
Selected volumes have annual indexes to topics, names, and books listed; a general index to the first 56 years of the magazine was published by John Nichols in 1789.
Provenance
Copy 1: Printed label in v. 4 with ms. note recording that the volumes from 1734 to 1868 were given by the Hon. W. C. Bridgeman in March 1929.
Provenance
Copy 1: Volumes from 1731 to 1841 mostly have ownership inscription of Cha[rle]s. Orlando Bridgeman on front pastedown.
Provenance
Copy 1: Volumes from 1731 to 1805 with armorial bookplate of Charles Brooke, struck through or removed.
Provenance
Copy 1: Some early volumes inscribed on title page: Mr Urmston.
Provenance
Copy 1: Some volumes (ca. 1837) with yellow or pink bookseller's ticket of W. Price;
Provenance
Copy 1: Some volumes from 1861-1868 with green or pink embossed bookseller's ticket of Parkes, Wolverhampton.
Provenance
Copy 2: Armorial bookplate of F. Manley Sims. Eton College Library ink stamp on front flyleaf verso.
Provenance
Copy 4: Loose ms. note addressed to Dr. Warre.
Binding
Copy 1: 19th century tree calf; boards with gilt roll-tooled border; gilt roll-tooled spine; red and black skiver spine labels. Many volumes rebacked in 20th-century calf; some volumes with blue and white paper labels.
Binding
Copy 2: 19th century teal calf half-binding; boards covered in marbled paper; marbled endpapers; gilt top edge.
Binding
Copy 3: Contemporary rough paper cover.
Binding
Copy 4: Printed paper wrappers (contain advertisements); stitched text block. Stored in a box with other pamphlets.
Copy-specific note
Copy 1: Bound in 223 volumes. Some spine labels numbered incorrectly.
Copy-specific note
Copy 2: February 1809 only, printed by Nichols and Son, at Cicero's Head, Red Lion passage, Fleet-street.
Copy-specific note
Copy 3: January 1817 only. Pagination: [2], 99-191, [1] p. - Booksellers' advertisements at front and rear of volume.
Copy-specific note
Copy 4: January 1832 only. Pagination: 96 p., plates.
Subject
Books and bookselling History 18th century Periodicals.
Subject
English essays 18th century Periodicals.
Subject
English literature 18th century Periodicals.
Genre/Form
Periodicals
Added entry--name
Cave, Edward, 1691 - 1754 publisher.
Added entry--name
Added entry--name
Added entry--name
Nichols, John, 1745 - 1826 publisher.
Added entry--name
Manley Sims, F. former owner.
Added entry--name
Bridgeman, William, 1864 - 1935 former owner.
Added entry--place
England London
Identifier
B29102