Category:The Nineteenth Century and After

Title: The Nineteenth Century

Editor: Sir James Knowles

Publisher: C. Kegan Paul and Co (Jan 1878-Jun 1881); Henry S. King and Co (Mar 1877 - Dec 1877, 1900); Kegan Paul, Trench and Co (Jul 1881-Jun 1891); Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co (Jan 1891 - Jun 1891); Sampson Low, Marston and Co (Jul 1891-Dec 1900)

The Nineteenth Century was a monthly review published from March 1877 until January 1901, after which it became known as The Nineteenth Century and After. It was established and edited by James Thomas Knowles, Jr., who in 1869 had been the means of bringing together the Metaphysical Society, which became a strong influence upon the creation and main ideas of the journal. This society would meet monthly for twelve years and comprised prominent and distinguished members who “were chosen for their diversity of opinion, strong convictions, and an earnest desire to grapple with the religious and philosophic questions of their day."^[1] These meetings were a forum for the open and free exchange of ideas and opinions, and it was this approach, coupled with Knowles’ new ideas about journalism, that characterized the journal.

Some of these new approaches to journalism were important features for which The Nineteenth Century became known. One of these innovations was that authors were published under their own names. Knowles wanted the journal to have “signed writing,” where each author could be credited for his or her own work.^[2]

Each issue encompassed a wide variety of genres, including essays, short stories, personal narratives, and even poems. The journal followed no set theme, but the majority of the works centered around important social, religious, political, and scientific matters. The Nineteenth Century was appropriately named because its contributors engaged each other in major topics of controversy existing in the latter part of the nineteenth century, often contending with matters discussed in earlier issues of the journal. Among its most notable contributors were Matthew Arnold, Alfred Tennyson, John Ruskin, Alfred Russell Wallace, Algernon Charles Swinburne, and William Ewart Gladstone, as well as many other significant political, religious, and literary leaders.

Submitted by: Overton, Haley: section 1,Winter 2010 Submitted by: Spencer, Katie: section 1, Winter 2010

Notes

1. ↑ WI.
2. ↑ DNB.