A History of American Magazines, Volume V: 1905-1930, Volume 5

Frank Luther Mott

Harvard University Press, 1958 - History - 616 pages

In 1939 Frank Luther Mott received a Pulitzer Prize for Volumes II and III of his History of American Magazines. In 1958 he was awarded the Bancroft Prize for Volume IV. He was at work on Volume V of the projected six-volume history when he died in October 1964. He had, at that time, written the sketches of the twenty-one magazines that appear in this volume. These magazines flourished during the period 1905-1930, but their "biographies" are continued throughout their entire lifespan--in the case of the ten still published, to recent years. Mott's daughter, Mildred Mott Wedel, has prepared this volume for publication and provided notes on changes since her father's death. No one has attempted to write the general historical chapters the author provided in the earlier volumes but which were not yet written for this last volume. A delightful autobiographical essay by the author has been included, and there is a detailed cumulative index to the entire set of this monumental work.

The period 1905-1930 witnessed the most flamboyant and fruitful literary activity that had yet occurred in America. In his sketches, Mott traces the editorial partnership of H. L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan, first on The Smart Set and then in the pages of The American Mercury. He treats The New Republic, the liberal magazine founded in 1914 by Herbert Croly and Willard Straight; the conservative Freeman; and Better Homes and Gardens, the first magazine to achieve a circulation of one million "without the aid of fiction or fashions." Other giants of magazine history are here: we see "serious, shaggy...solid, pragmatic, self-contained" Henry Luce propel a national magazine called Time toward its remarkable prosperity. In addition to those already mentioned, the reader will find accounts of The Midland, The South Atlantic Quarterly, The Little Review, Poetry, The Fugitive, Everybody's, Appleton's Booklovers Magazine, Current History, Editor & Publisher, The Golden Book Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Hampton's Broadway Magazine, House Beautiful, Success, and The Yale Review.

Contents

• The American Mercury 1927: 2
• The American Mercury: 3
• Listerine advertisement 1927: 16
• Appletons Booklovers Magazine: 27
• Appletons Booklovers Magazine 1905: 31
• Better Homes and Gardens: 36
• Fruit Garden and Home 1924: 39
• Current History: 49
• Current History 1915: 52
• Editor Publisher: 59
• The Editor and Publisher 1901: 60
• Everybodys Magazine: 72
• Everybodys Magazine 1904: 77
• The Freeman: 88
• The Fugitive: 100
• The Golden Book Magazine: 117
• The Golden Book Magazine 1927: 120
• Good Housekeeping: 125
• Good Housekeeping 1885: 127
• A fashion column of 1919: 135
• Broadway Magazine 1899: 144
• Hamptons Broadway Magazine: 145
• House Beautiful: 154
• The House Beautiful 1908: 160
• The Little Review: 166
• The Little Review 1915: 170
• Portion by John T Frederick 172178: 172
• The Midland: 179
• The Midland 1915: 181
• John T Frederick of The Midland: 189
• The New Republic: 191
• The New Republic 1914: 198
• Poetry: 225
• Harriet Monroe of Poetry: 227
• Portion by John T Frederick 231235: 231
• Poetry 1967: 233
• The Smart Set: 246
• The Smart Set 1908: 252
• The South Atlantic Quarterly: 273
• The South Atlantic Quarterly 1905: 279
• Success: 286
• Success Magazine 1906: 289
• Time: 293
• Time 1923: 299
• Henry R Luce of Time: 310
• The Yale Review: 329
• The Yale Review 1918: 334
• Unfinished Story or The Man in the Carrel Motts account of A History of American Magazines: 341
• Bibliography of Motts Writings on American Magazines: 351
• Index to the Five Volumes: 353

Bibliographic information

• Title: A History of American Magazines, Volume V: 1905-1930, Volume 5; A History of American Magazines; A History of American Magazines, Volume V: 1905-1930
• Author: Frank Luther Mott
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Harvard University Press, 1958
• ISBN: 0674395549, 9780674395541
• Length: 616 pages
• Subjects: History / General; Language Arts & Disciplines / Publishers & Publishing Industry; Literary Criticism / American / General; Literary Criticism / General; Reference / General