Category:London Society

Title: London Society

Editor: Henry Blackburn, James Hogg, Florence Marryat

Publisher: Arliss Andrews, F.V. White

London Society was a monthly illustrated magazine, subtitled “an illustrated magazine of light and amusing literature for the hours of relaxation.” It was first founded in February 1862 by James Hogg and ran through December 1898, with a circulation of around twenty thousand. It was bought in 1870 by Richard Bentley. Bentley employed Henry Blackburn as editor until 1872 when he hired Florence Marryat, one of several popular female author-editors.^[1] Many of London Society’s chief offerings were sketches of London life, past and present. However, it also provided stories, poetry, serialized novels, reviews of local events, general advice, letters to the editor, and other miscellaneous articles. Some of its more famous contributors were Wilkie Collins, Charles Reade, Arthur Hughes, Edmund Yates, and John Dawson Watson. Despite the magazine’s large following, John Sutherland denounced it as an inferior imitator of Cornhill Magazine.^[2] However, in contrast with Cornhill and similar magazines, London Society focused on issues of middle-class leisure. London Society provides important commentary on Victorian society and the problems and interests of the middle class from a conservative point of view.^[3]

Because London Society was published monthly, many of the articles and stories progressed with each issue, in the form of serialized stories and regular columns addressing such issues as fashion and flower arranging. For example, in Volume 2, there are articles in each issue entitled “A Lady’s Dress,” as well as continuing chapters of the story, “The Story of a Wife’s Secret, A Husband’s Trust, and a Friend’s Strategy.”  This magazine did not just focus on women’s style or side with men in relationship scenarios; instead, there were perspectives for both genders.

As an illustrated magazine, many of London Society’s poems and stories were accompanied by drawings. Nearly all of the artwork in the magazine directly illustrated stories and especially poems. Some illustrators put their own twist on classic poetry by authors such as Keats and Dryden. The artwork was done in engravings, plates, portraits, and sketches. Although London Society was not as popular as other magazines of the time, it was still widely read and well-liked. It held its own as a magazine that appealed to all tastes and genders while also fulfilling a unique role as self-conscious, light-hearted social commentary.

Notes

1. ↑ Beth Palmer, “‘Chieftaness,’ ‘Great Duchess,’ ‘Editress! Mysterious Being!’: Performing Editorial Identities in Florence Marryat's London Society Magazine,” Victorian Periodicals Review 42.2 (2009): 136-154, Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
2. ↑ WD
3. ↑ VW

Submitted by: Torgerson, Paige: section 1, Fall 2013 Submitted by: Hubbard, Emily: section 1, Fall 2013