''The Reader'' was a British weekly published from 1863 to 1867. Intended as a review journal, for both science and literature, it has been called "probably the last attempt, in Victorian England, to keep together liberal scientists, theologians, and men of letters."

History

''The Reader'' was set up in 1862 by

Thomas Hughes Thomas Hughes (20 October 1822 – 22 March 1896) was an English lawyer, judge, politician and author. He is most famous for his novel ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (1857), a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had atte ...

and

Norman Lockyer Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer (17 May 1836 – 16 August 1920) was an English scientist and astronomer. Along with the French scientist Pierre Janssen, he is credited with discovering the gas helium. Lockyer also is remembered for being the fo ...

, neighbours in

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

, to cover art, religion and science. The first issue appeared on 3 January 1863. The original backers were Christian Socialists. Some of those were bought out, in 1864, by associates of the

X Club The X Club was a dining club of nine men who supported the theories of natural selection and academic liberalism in late 19th-century England. Thomas Henry Huxley was the initiator; he called the first meeting for 3 November 1864. The club m ...

. The alliance of the groups was uneasy. ''The Reader'' was sold in autumn 1865 to Thomas Bendyshe. There were 211 weekly numbers, and the final issue appeared on 12 January 1867.

Editorial staff

The first editor was John Malcolm Ludlow, who was succeeded by

David Masson David Mather Masson (2 December 18226 October 1907), was a Scotland, Scottish academic, supporter of women's suffrage, literary critic and historian. Biography Masson was born in Aberdeen, the son of Sarah Mather and William Masson, a sto ...

. In aiming to review books of all sorts, ''The Reader'' resembled in its approach the models ''

Monthly Review The ''Monthly Review'' is an independent socialist magazine published monthly in New York City. Established in 1949, the publication is the longest continuously published socialist magazine in the United States. History Establishment Following ...

'' and '' Critical Review'' of the 18th century.John F. Byrne, ''"The Reader": A Review of Literature, Science and the Arts, 1863-67'', Victorian Periodicals Newsletter No. 4, ol. 2, No. 1(Apr., 1969), pp. 47–50, at p. 48. Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press on behalf of the Research Society for Victorian Periodicals They were followed by J. Dennis, and Thomas Bendyshe. The editors of the science section were

Thomas Henry Huxley Thomas Henry Huxley (4 May 1825 – 29 June 1895) was an English biologist and anthropologist who specialized in comparative anatomy. He has become known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The stor ...

and

John Tyndall John Tyndall (; 2 August 1820 – 4 December 1893) was an Irish physicist. His scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the physical properties of air ...

. Lockyer initially had had that job. With

Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest", which he coined in '' ...

, he tried to turn around ''The Reader'' in 1864 by expanding its science content. But the December 1864 editorial "Science and Church Policy" by Huxley damaged circulation, by offending Christian Socialists. There came to be flexibility of roles, with Frederick Pollock (1815–1888) taking on some responsibility in mid-1865.

Contributors

In April 1863 a list of 51 contributors was published. * George Edward Roberts *

Alfred Russel Wallace Alfred Russel Wallace (8 January 1823 – 7 November 1913) was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 pap ...

contributed eight papers * John Richard de Capel Wise

Legacy

While the scientific content of ''The Reader'' ended with Bendyshe's ownership, the scientific group supplying it was the milieu for the founding of ''

Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

'' in 1869. As far as Bendyshe's interests in human diversity went,

James Hunt James Simon Wallis Hunt (29 August 1947 – 15 June 1993) was a British racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "the Shunt", Hunt won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with McLaren, and wo ...

set up as successor the ''Popular Magazine of Anthropology'' in early 1866.

Notes

External links

* The initial price was 4d. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reader Weekly Defunct magazines published in the United Kingdom 1863 establishments in the United Kingdom 1866 establishments in the United Kingdom