This article provides a brief summary of each publication included in Transatlantic Civil Society in Periodicals, 1768-1925. It is largely derived from the work of Greg Palmer from the Institute of U.S. Studies in London, who penned the original microfilm guide, American Newspapers and Periodicals Published in the U.K. and Europe: 18-20th Centuries. Large chunks of texts have been lifted verbatim from Palmer's guide.
For clarity, the periodicals are divided by volume.
Cultural Exchange, 1851-1914
The American Magazine, October 1851-February 1852, 5 monthly issues: Edited by Henry Howard Paul, The American Magazine was intended to make the literature of the United States and Canada available in Britain. This run contains articles, stories, poems, and so on written by popular American writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, James Russell Lowell, Fennimore Cooper, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 280 pages in total.
The American News, April 1876-December 1877, No.1-Vol.II, No.86: The American News was a large format 4-page newspaper which aimed to enlighten the British public about the United States and Canada. Its editors and writers assumed a “generous and kindred itinerary” between the English-speaking nations. This run includes American and Canadian news, trade analysis, literary serials, and short stories, as well as editorials on North American and British politics.
The American Eagle, March 1885-February 1886, Vol.I, Nos. 1-12: According to its own pages, The American Eagle was “devoted to the American Exhibition of the arts, inventions, manufacturers, products, and resources of the United States.”
American Humorist and Storyteller, February 1888-November 1888, Nos.1-38: The Humorist was a digest of anecdotes, stories, and illustrations taken from American journals, though the occasional original items do make an appearance. It also contains news reports that the original microfilm guide refers to as “of a much [folksier] character than the commercially oriented papers.”
American Society in Europe, May 1891-October 1892, Nos.1-18: The pages of American Society in Europe chiefly host society gossip, light verse, and commercial news. Much of the commentary concerns politicians and other notable public figures and is, in the words of the microfilm guide, “often quite sharp.” 25 pages per issue.
The Anglo-American and Continental Courier, February 1903-April 1903, Vol.I, Nos.1-9, continued as The Anglo-American and Canadian Journal, May 1903-August 1903, Vol.VI, Nos.10-26: Subtitled ‘An Illustrated Weekly Journal of International Intercourse, Society, Politics, Literature, and Art’, The Courier was printed on thick, glossy paper, and contained numerous striking illustrations. Like so many of the publications in this collection, its editors were committed to promoting good Anglo-American relations. To this end, they dedicated a great many column inches to prominent members of the Anglo-American community, both past and present, including, in one issue, a particularly enlightening examination of George Washington’s ancestry. Society and theatre gossip are also covered, as are the meetings of the Society of American Women in London, for whom the magazine effectively served as a public newsletter.
On 2nd May 1903, The Courier changed its name to The Anglo-American and Canadian Journal, claiming to be in its sixth year of existence. By this time, the Canadian government had begun to promote immigration in much the same way as their neighbours to the south—a fact reflected by increased commentary on and comment from Canada and Canadians. That said, the Journal retained the same distinguished address (Trafalgar Buildings, Trafalgar Square), and its format, style, and tone are identical to its predecessor. It later called itself ‘The Official Organ of the American and Canadian Colonies in Europe’.
The Anglo-Saxon, May 1899-November 1899, Nos.1-15: Edited by James Mortimer and subtitled ‘A journal for the Anglo-Saxon race’, The Anglo-Saxon aspired to create good feeling between the “great English-speaking nations.” This largely meant North America and Britain, though Australia and New Zealand occasionally surface. The journal features little news, instead concentrating on politics, literature, and the arts, with a great emphasis on “blood and kin.” According to the microfilm guide, much of the content is “idiosyncratic”, which may be a polite way of saying prejudiced. Printed by Odhams from an office in the Strand.
Tourism and Emigration, 1884-1914
The American Visitor, April 1884-July 1884, Nos.1-10: The American Visitor was directed towards North American tourists and travellers in London. It included lists of the latest arrivals, articles on subjects of interest to visitors—i.e. updates on cholera outbreaks, gambling tips, etc.—and a daily diary of things to do in the city, in addition to reviews of contemporary books, music, theatre, and sport.
America Abroad, 1891-1907: An annual handbook for American visitors to London, Paris, Dublin, and other European cities. Published from 8 and 9 Essex Street on the Strand.
The Anglo-American Illustrated News, continued as The Anglo-American and Continental Illustrated Gazette, January 1909-December 1909: Both publications were large format 8-page newspapers for English and American travellers and residents in Europe. They contained illustrations, social notes, amusing articles and anecdotes, sports news, guides to and reviews of hotels and resorts, and London and Paris letters. The only news concerns crimes and accidents.
The American Directory & Who's Who in Europe, 1922-1925: The Directory was edited and published by Paul Brewster, an American journalist who by the early-1920s had been working in Europe for several years. It had separate editions for Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Its listings include resident Americans, American women married to titled Europeans, American clubs, American newspaper representatives, and for Britain, Belgium, and France, American companies.
The London American, April 1895-October 1901, Vol.I, No1-Vol.X-No.310, continued as The Anglo-American Press, January 1902-November 1902, Vol.X, Nos.321-362: Subtitled ‘A chronicle of the American colony in Europe’, both papers addressed themselves to Americans permanently resident in Europe, reporting on American diplomatic, sporting, and social events on the continent. The microfilm guide observes that neither attempted to “compete with American news available telegraphically.”
America, January 1883-December 1883, Vol.I, No.1-Vol.II, No.16: Edited by Charles McArmor “in the interests of intelligent emigration, and as an independent guide for emigrants.” Initially conceived as a handbook for prospective emigrants, America changed its character after a few issues to cater for “those of our fellow citizens who cross the Atlantic by thousands every year, to form in the Old World, temporary itinerant colonies alike conspicuous by their opulence and liberality.” It largely published world news, humorous notes, and society chatter.
The American and Colonial Gazette, June 1888-August 1888, Vol.I, Nos.1-11: The microfilm guide provides scant insight into the Gazette, listing it simply as a “journal for American and Colonial visitors” to Britain.
The American Visitors’ News and Register and Colonial Gazette, May 1893-October 1893, Vol.I, Nos.1-26, continued as The American Visitors’ News and Register, May 1894-December 1895, Vol.II, No.27-Vol.V, No.112, continued as The American News, Vol.V, No.113-Vol.VII, No.177, January 1896-March 1897: Each incarnation of this magazine was pitched to travellers from the United States to Europe. It includes a register of arrivals, editorial commentary on the stories of the day, social gossip, shopping notes, and other relevant information for tourists.
The Anglo-American Traveller, May 1902-April 1903, Nos1-12: The Traveller was a 16-page promotional magazine printed on glossy paper that was sent free of charge to clubs, hotels, and tourist agencies. The content was varied, including gossip, articles on accommodation and shopping, guides to London, American notes, natural history notes, and other items of interest to Americans in Britain.
Conflict, 1768-1919
The American Gazette, 1768-1770, in six parts: Edited by G Kearsly and subtitled: ‘Being a Collection of all the Authentic Addresses, Memorials, Letters etc. which relate to the Present Disputes between Great Britain and her Colonies, containing also Many Original Papers never before published’. The Gazette includes speeches, letters, and essays on the emerging antagonism between the North American Colonies and Britain. It also incorporates several issues of The Monitor, a periodical published in Virginia during the same period. 456 pages in total with a 34-page appendix entitled ‘the memorial from a meeting of the Town of Boston 11 October 1769 to the British Ministry’. This run is accompanied by a full table of contents.
The London American, 1860-1863, Weekly: The London American was a weekly digest focussed on matters of politics, commerce, technology, and emigration. The microfilm guide states that it began circulating at a “bad time in Anglo-American relations, on the eve of the Civil War, and foundered during it.”
American Home News, July 1918-March 1919, Nos.1-208: Published daily by the American Y.M.C.A. Education Bureau, American Home News was printed on a single sheet of paper. It included American football results and some items of war news reprinted from other sources.
Investment and Finance, 1873-1912
The American Herald, March 1873-1875, Vol.I, No.1-Vol.III, No.99: The Herald was a medium sized commercial paper published in Liverpool by C. Douglas Greig and Co. Intended for an English readership, each issue consisted of 8-12 pages of news and information on the “boundless resources” of the United States, with an emphasis on investment and immigration. This news was largely drawn from American newspapers and was accompanied by editorial content and a register of names of American visitors to Britain. One edition contains an advert for the “Continental Herald, an Anglo-American Journal published daily in Paris.” The microfilm guide suggests that this and The American Herald “could well be offshoots of the New York Herald.”
The Anglo-Colorado Mining and Milling Guide, February 1898-May 1905, continued as The Anglo-American and Mexican Mining Guide and General Financier, June 1905-August 1912: Originally aimed at British investors interested in gold mining in Colorado, The Anglo-Colorado Mining and Milling Guide later expanded its remit to include oil, real estate, and financial and other investments, as well as other Western mining states and Mexico. It also ran an information service for subscribers for a small fee. Subscribers could read articles about mining companies, railways, tunnels—Pike’s peak tunnel, for instance—the price of mining stocks, details of shares, and capital of mining and other associated companies. The microfilm guide points out that there had been “much unsound speculation in American shares in mines, railways etc.” during this period, hence the prominent tagline: ‘Not an organ of any Company or Syndicate (British or American) and can be relied upon as an Independent Guide’.
Trade and Commerce, 1897-1906
The American Blue Book, 1905-1906: Edited and compiled by Genevieve C. Bancroft and Basil Bancroft, The American Blue Book was a short-lived trade directory containing a list of Americans and American firms operating in Britain.
American Referee and Cycle Trade Journal, May 1897-December 1897, Vol.I, No.1-Vol.II, No.8, continued as The Cycle Referee and Trade Journal, January 1898-February 1899, Vol.II, No.9-Vo.IV, No.15): Edited by S.A. Miles, this American cycle trade journal was designed to promote cycling and the sale of American-made bicycles in Europe. This run contains the “rather plush” European edition in German, French, and English. Content includes notes on cycling events in Europe, articles on technical developments, news of recent patents, law regarding cycling, and company reports. Advertisements are all for American firms selling through English agents. The microfilm guide deems it worthy to point out the editorial on 30th December 1897 on “Cobden Policy and the Cycle Trade, supporting free trade”, which “shows how the trade sponsors the sporting events.”
The American Trade Review, May 1902-April 1903, Nos.1-12: A pamphlet edited by Louis M. Porter, subtitled ‘The English Invasion of America, a journal of facts; published now and then’, and circulated in the “interest of British exporters.” It consists of brief articles with statistical tables on American and British trade. Around 20 pages per issue.