Market Growth in the Nineteenth Century
Throughout the 19th century remarkable—often revolutionary—transformation affected every aspect of the American magazine publishing business, making it a far different industry at the end of the century than it had been at the beginning.
There were 13 American magazines in 1800. It’s unlikely that any had circulation of more than 1,000. In 1900 approximately 3,500 magazines were published in the United States, including about 1,500 weekly magazines and 2,000 monthlies and quarterlies. (1910 Census, Table 56, p 795; 1900 Census, Table 11, p 1045) Circulation of the average monthly was 21,750; many monthlies were significantly larger. (1900 Census, Table 19, p 1047)
The transformation of magazine publishing in 19th-century America resulted from positive change in practically all of the major factors that can affect the industry’s growth... Read More
This Chapter
Affordability, the Middle Class, and Printing
Reading material in the 19th century: who could afford it and how it was made.
Distribution and Advertising
How the Post Office treated magazines. Single-copy sales. Growth of advertising in the 19th century.
