''The Philadelphia Press'' (or ''The Press'') is a defunct newspaper that was published from August 1, 1857, to October 1, 1920.
The paper was founded by
John Weiss Forney.
Charles Emory Smith was editor and owned a stake in the paper from 1880 until his death in 1908. In 1920, it was purchased by
Cyrus H. K. Curtis, who merged the ''Press'' into the ''
Public Ledger''.
In 1882, a Philadelphia Press newspaper story sparked a sensational trial after a journalist caught
body snatchers from the
Jefferson Medical College stealing corpses from
Lebanon Cemetery for use as
cadavers by medical students.
Before being published in book form,
Stephen Crane's 1895 novel ''
The Red Badge of Courage'' was serialized in ''The Philadelphia Press'' in 1894. Earlier, in 1888,
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
's ''
The Black Arrow'' appeared in the paper in serialized form under the title "The Outlaws of Tunstall Forest," with illustrations by Alfred Brennan, before the first hardcover book publication by Charles Scribner's Sons.
Notable contributors
*
Emily Pomona Edson Briggs, columnist, notable early female journalist
*
Thomas Morris Chester, African-American Civil War correspondent
*
Benjamin De Casseres, proofreader, theatrical critic and editorial writer
*
Joel Cook, American Civil War correspondent with the Army of the Potomac
*
Elisha Jay Edwards, investigative journalist
*
George Alfred Townsend, city editor and drama critic
*
John Russell Young, chief
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
correspondent
The 'Philadelphia Four'
In addition to written contributions, illustrations were also produced for the newspaper. Four illustrators, each a member of the 'Charcoal Club' founded by
Robert Henri, became known as the 'Philadelphia Four':
*
William Glackens
*
George Luks
*
Everett Shinn
*
John French Sloan
See also
*
List of defunct newspapers of the United States
References
Defunct newspapers of Philadelphia
Newspapers established in 1857
Publications disestablished in 1920
1857 establishments in Pennsylvania
{{Pennsylvania-newspaper-stub