Overview

This literary group was a bit unusual in that the members formed solely for the purpose of producing a magazine of original works. While they referred to their group as an ‘Association’ and collected subscriptions, it appears that they did not hold any formal meetings. It started as a group of 10 young men (women were allowed later) that were initially asked to join by F. J. Osborn, who would act as the magazine’s Editor.

Osborn, in his ‘Editorial’ in the first number, explains his methods of persuasion to elicit contributions: after convincing one young man to contribute an article, he would then approach another acquaintance and tell him that ‘Fizgog’ has sent in his contribution. He would then go on to say it was such a poor production that surely he (the acquaintance) could produce something better. This ‘harmless subterfuge’ appears not to have been necessary after the launch of the first issue as contributors were more forthcoming thereafter.

According to the magazine’s rules in the first number, each member of the group was to aim for contributing an article every month, but was certainly to do so at least every three months. The magazine was to be kept for four days only (this would later change to 48 hours) and then passed on to the next member on the list or he would have to pay a fine of 1d per day. Friends were allowed to read the magazine, but the listed member was responsible for its condition. Later on, contributions were accepted from non-members. In the first issues, the Editor re-wrote each of the pieces submitted, and the authors’ artwork was cut and pasted in.

Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine

(Currently unknown) (Hertford)

Date of Existence

1904?-1911?

Date of Magazine

March 1904 – May 1911

Number of Issues

70

Manuscript/Published Magazine

Manuscript and Typescript

Contents and Contributions

Advertisements (humorous); Art/Illustrations (original); Articles (non-fiction); Circulation Lists; Editorials; Essays; Fiction/Narratives; Jokes; Letters to Editor; Magazine Rules; Notices; Prefaces; Puzzles; Readers’ Criticisms; Sketches; Tables of Contents; Title pages

Repository

Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS) (Hertford)

Reference

DE/FJO/A11/1-70

Overview

There are 12 issues of this monthly print magazine dating from June 1887 to May 1888 which were bound together in one volume in 1888. The entire volume is a total of 240 pages with each issue having 20 pages.

In the ‘Preface’, to Our Mutual Friend — a title chosen from the work of Charles Dickens —  it is stated that the periodical was founded by members of the Bold Street Wesleyan Improvement Society and intended for local circulation, but the group desired to have it preserved in a more permanent form. Members of other ‘improving’ groups in Warrington and the local region also contributed. The magazine was non-political and non-denominational, but was more generally framed as a Christian magazine.

Following the ‘Preface’, there is a ‘List of Contributors’. Of the 32 listed, most of them are men, of which there are seven Reverends and one Alderman. There are also four women contributors, three being unmarried women and one married.

The ‘Index’ at the front lists the contents by month. This miscellany contains mostly prose articles and essays along with serial fictional stories, with about a quarter of each issue being original poetry.

Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine

[Various Literary and Mutual Improvement Societies of Warrington, St Helens and the Surrounding District]

Date of Existence

1887?-1888?

Date of Magazine

1 June 1887-1 May 1888

Number of Issues

Vol. I (12 issues)

Manuscript/Published Magazine

Print

Contents and Contributions

Articles (non-fiction); Ballad (original); Correspondence column; Editorials; Essays; Fiction/Narratives; Hymn; Index; List of contributors; News (local branches of society); Poems (original); Preface; Title page

Repository

Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, held at Cheshire Record Office (Chester)

Reference

EMC 21/5334/149

Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine

(Currently unknown) (Dumfries)

Date of Existence

1872?-1883?

Date of Magazine

June 1872, July 1872, Sept. 1872, Dec. 1872, Feb. 1873, June 1873, Sept. 1873, Apr. 1883

Number of Issues

8 (four from 1872, three from 1873 and one from 1883)

Manuscript/Published Magazine

Manuscript

Contents and Contributions

Repository

Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council Library Service, Ewart Library, Dumfries

Reference

[EWK] DB151(05) (Note: this is also ref. for The Sphinx, see below)

Additional Notes

See also The Sphinx (1891-93).

Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine

(Currently unknown)

Date of Existence

1851?-?

Date of Magazine

No. 5, 1851

Number of Issues

1

Manuscript/Published Magazine

Manuscript

Contents and Contributions

Repository

Elgin Public Library

Reference

L 805, Barcode: 00369281

Overview

Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine

(Currently unknown; unknown if this is the production of a society, although a ‘society’ is mentioned in an article by the editor entitled ’15 March, 1888′, p. 19, March 1888) (Glasgow)

Date of Existence

1888?

Date of Magazine

Feb., Mar., Apr., and May 1888

Number of Issues

4

Manuscript/Published Magazine

Original in manuscript, then print (lithograph?) (see The Foundry Boy, and The Overnewton Whisper)

Contents and Contributions

Repository

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow

Reference

Bookstore DA 890.G5 RAD

Overview

Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine

(Currently unknown) (Aberdeen)

Date of Existence

1823-?

Date of Magazine

Vol. I, Nos. 1-4, July-Oct. 1823

Number of Issues

4

Manuscript/Published Magazine

Manuscript

Contents and Contributions

Repository

Aberdeen City Library, Central Library

Reference

Lo 050 AB3

Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine

(Currently unknown) (Dumfries)

Date of Existence

1891?-1894?

Date of Magazine

Vol. I, Jan. 1891-Sept. 1891

Number of Issues

9 lithograph issues (with 2 copies in total of Sept. 1891 at back of bound volume); 36 issues in print (bound in 3 hardcover volumes; also 3 individual issues from 1894)

Manuscript/Published Magazine

Vol. I are all lithograph copies; Vols. II-IV print

Contents and Contributions

Repository

Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council Library Service, Ewart Library, Dumfries

Reference

[EWK] DB151(05) (this is also ref. for The Dragon, see below)

Additional Notes

See also entry for The Dragon.

Overview

Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine

(Currently unknown) (Hertford)

Date of Existence

Apr.-May 1911?

Date of Magazine

April-May 1911?

Number of Issues

2

Manuscript/Published Magazine

Manuscript

Contents and Contributions

Repository

Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS) (Hertford)

Reference

DE/FJO/A11/71-72