The Century Magazine
Encyclopedia
The Century Magazine was first published in the United States
in 1881 by The Century Company
of New York City
as a successor to Scribner's Monthly Magazine
. It ceased publication in 1930.
The magazine was very successful during the 19th century, most notably for the aforementioned series of articles about the American Civil War
, which ran for three years during the 1880s. It included reminiscences of 230 participants from all ranks of the service on both sides of the conflict. It was also a notable publisher of fiction, presenting three excerpts of Mark Twain
's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
in 1884 and 1885. Due to competition from cheaper magazines and newspapers, the magazine's circulation gradually declined. In 1929, The Century became a quarterly, and in 1930 it was merged with The Forum
. However, its reprieve was short-lived; The Forum ceased publication at the end of that same year.
The noted critic and editor Frank Crowninshield
briefly served as its art editor.
contributed 30 stories, articles and poems to The Century between 1896 and 1913, including "My Cyclone-proof House", which appeared in the November 1896 issue. This short story was Butler's first piece published in a major magazine. His works were illustrated by such famous artists as Jay Hambidge
, May Wilson Preston, Florence Scovel Shinn
, Frederic Dorr Steele
, and Frederic R. Gruger. The Century published a full-color portrait of Butler (with his wife Ada and daughter Elsie) in the December 1909 issue. The portrait was drawn by family friend Ernest L. Blumenschein
.
Noted engraver Alexander Wilson Drake
was a long-time contributor to both The Century Magazine and its earlier incarnation as Scribner's Monthly. The Century Company
produced a memorial edition of Alexander Wilson Drake
's fiction and art entitled Three Midnight Stories
in 1916. The Century also employed many notable editorial cartoonists, including Oscar Cesare
.
During the 1900s and 1910s the Anglo-Canadian poet, story writer and essayist Marjorie Pickthall
was a regular contributor to The Century Magazine.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1881 by The Century Company
The Century Company
The Century Company was an American publishing company, founded in 1881.It was originally a subsidiary of Charles Scribner's Sons, but was bought and renamed. The magazine it had published up to that time, Scribners Monthly, was renamed The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine.The Century Company...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as a successor to Scribner's Monthly Magazine
Scribner’s Monthly
Scribner's Monthly: An Illustrated Magazine for the People was an American literary periodical published from 1870 until 1881.-History:Charles Scribner I, Andrew Armstrong, Arthur Peabody, Edward Seymour, Josiah Gilbert Holland, and Roswell Smith established "Scribner & Co." on July 19, 1870 to...
. It ceased publication in 1930.
History
In 1921, The Cambridge History of English and American Literature summarized the early history of the magazine:The magazine was very successful during the 19th century, most notably for the aforementioned series of articles about the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, which ran for three years during the 1880s. It included reminiscences of 230 participants from all ranks of the service on both sides of the conflict. It was also a notable publisher of fiction, presenting three excerpts of Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by Mark Twain, first published in England in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885. Commonly named among the Great American Novels, the work is among the first in major American literature to be written in the vernacular, characterized by...
in 1884 and 1885. Due to competition from cheaper magazines and newspapers, the magazine's circulation gradually declined. In 1929, The Century became a quarterly, and in 1930 it was merged with The Forum
The Forum (defunct magazine)
The Forum was an American magazine between 1886 and 1930. The magazine printed commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, and poetry. Most editions of the magazine contained pieces written by prominent guest authors who were not employed by the magazine....
. However, its reprieve was short-lived; The Forum ceased publication at the end of that same year.
The noted critic and editor Frank Crowninshield
Frank Crowninshield
Francis Welch Crowninshield , better known as Frank or Crownie , was an American journalist and art and theatre critic best known for developing and editing the magazine Vanity Fair for 21 years, making it a pre-eminent literary journal.-Personal life:Crowninshield was born June 24, 1872 in Paris,...
briefly served as its art editor.
Contributors
Pulp magazine author Ellis Parker ButlerEllis Parker Butler
Ellis Parker Butler was an American author.Butler was born in Muscatine, Iowa. He was the author of more than 30 books and more than 2,000 stories and essays and is most famous for his short story "Pigs is Pigs", in which a bureaucratic stationmaster insists on levying the livestock rate for a...
contributed 30 stories, articles and poems to The Century between 1896 and 1913, including "My Cyclone-proof House", which appeared in the November 1896 issue. This short story was Butler's first piece published in a major magazine. His works were illustrated by such famous artists as Jay Hambidge
Jay Hambidge
Jay Hambidge was an American artist, born in Canada. He was a pupil at the Art Students' League in New York and of William Chase, and a thorough student of classical art. He conceived the idea that the study of arithmetic with the aid of geometrical designs was the foundation of the proportion and...
, May Wilson Preston, Florence Scovel Shinn
Florence Scovel Shinn
Florence Scovel Shinn was an American artist and book illustrator who became a New Thought spiritual teacher and metaphysical writer in her middle years...
, Frederic Dorr Steele
Frederic Dorr Steele
Frederic Dorr Steele is an American illustrator best known for his work on the Sherlock Holmes stories.Steele, a descendant of William Bradford , was born on 6 August 1873 at Eagle Mills, Marquette, Michigan, and studied at the National Academy of Design and elsewhere in New York City...
, and Frederic R. Gruger. The Century published a full-color portrait of Butler (with his wife Ada and daughter Elsie) in the December 1909 issue. The portrait was drawn by family friend Ernest L. Blumenschein
Ernest L. Blumenschein
Ernest Leonard Blumenschein was an American artist andfounding member of the Taos Society of Artists. He is noted for paintings of Native Americans, New Mexico and the American Southwest.-Early life and education:...
.
Noted engraver Alexander Wilson Drake
Alexander Wilson Drake
Alexander Wilson Drake was an American artist, collector and critic, born near Westfield, NJ. He studied wood engraving under John W. Orr of New York city, as well as oil and water-color painting. He was in the wood engraving business on his own account in New York city from 1865 to 1870...
was a long-time contributor to both The Century Magazine and its earlier incarnation as Scribner's Monthly. The Century Company
The Century Company
The Century Company was an American publishing company, founded in 1881.It was originally a subsidiary of Charles Scribner's Sons, but was bought and renamed. The magazine it had published up to that time, Scribners Monthly, was renamed The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine.The Century Company...
produced a memorial edition of Alexander Wilson Drake
Alexander Wilson Drake
Alexander Wilson Drake was an American artist, collector and critic, born near Westfield, NJ. He studied wood engraving under John W. Orr of New York city, as well as oil and water-color painting. He was in the wood engraving business on his own account in New York city from 1865 to 1870...
's fiction and art entitled Three Midnight Stories
Three Midnight Stories
Three Midnight Stories is an English-language collection of three of Alexander Wilson Drake's short stories along with several poems brought together and interspersed with many of his engravings, as well as photographic prints of his residence and art collection.This printing, the first and only...
in 1916. The Century also employed many notable editorial cartoonists, including Oscar Cesare
Oscar Cesare
Oscar Cesare was a Swedish-born American caricaturist, painter, draftsman and editorial cartoonist.-Early life:Cesare was born in Linköping, Sweden. At eighteen he moved to Paris to study art, then traveled to Buffalo, New York, to continue his studies...
.
During the 1900s and 1910s the Anglo-Canadian poet, story writer and essayist Marjorie Pickthall
Marjorie Pickthall
Marjorie Lowry Christie Pickthall , was a Canadian writer who was born in England but lived in Canada from the time she was seven...
was a regular contributor to The Century Magazine.
External links
- The Century Magazine at Cornell University Library "Making of America", vols. 23-58, and INDEX vol. (1881–1899)
- The Century Magazine at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
, various volumes (scanned books original editions color illustrated) - Holland Collection of Literary Letters, University of Colorado Boulder