The Literary Miscellany (Philadelphia 1795), Lady And Gentleman's Pocket Magazine (New York 1796), And Literary Museum, Or Monthly Magazine ... (Studies in British and American Magazines)

The Literary Miscellany, Containing Elegant Selections of the most admired Fugitive Pieces, and Extracts from Works of the greatest Merit, with Originals. Prose and Poetry was published in Philadelphia (volume one printed at the office of W. W. Woodward, for T. Stephens, No. 57, South Second Street; volume two printed for T. Stephens, No. 60, South Second Street) in sixteen parts (twice-monthly for twelve numbers from January through June 1795, but irregular through the four numbers in July-August-September), sold primarily by subscription. The editor, Thomas Stephens, apparently aped George Nicholson's Literary Miscellany published in England from 1793, initially at Manchester, then Ludlow, and Poughnill, with more than eighty pamphlet/numbers collected in 20 volumes (Stourport 1812). The British periodical was an unconventional magazine at best, with a kinship to the serial anthology that is more fully described in Chapter One of volume 7 in this series, Discoveries in Periodicals (2000). The Philadelphia Literary Miscellany also is an unconventional magazine, because the advertised claim that original contributions were to be mixed with reprinted materials is unsubstantiated. Only in deference to tradition should one be side-stepping the serial-anthology designation for this oddity in "American Periodicals, Series One" (Reel 14), recorded also among magazines by Kribbs (No. 456).Edward W. R. Pitcher is the author of 'The Literary Miscellany (Philadelphia 1795), Lady And Gentleman's Pocket Magazine (New York 1796), And Literary Museum, Or Monthly Magazine ... (Studies in British and American Magazines)', published 2005 under ISBN 9780773462632 and ISBN 0773462635.