The People's Magazine: An Illustrated Miscellany for Family Reading, New Series (July to December 1870)

London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1870. Hardcover. F (Covers are heavily aged and soiled, and outermost pages have edge wear; most pages are crisp and clean, and illus. are nice; a possible rebinding candidate.). Green stamped cloth, gilt decorations on spine & front cover, 381 pp., many BW illus. What fun, to browse through 19th-century illustrated magazines like this one! The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is the oldest Anglican mission organization, was founded in 1698, and is still known for its publications. In the 1860s and 1870s, they published The People's Magazine. Each issue offers a variety of articles, including memoir pieces, travelogues, biographical profiles, and informative science pieces, among others. Detailed engravings appear throughout most texts. This six-month stretch contains bios of James Watt, Martin Luther, Samuel Johnson, Dr. Kotto, Jeanne d'Albret, Philippa of Hainault, Dr. James Ussher, Archbishop Leighton, and Robert Boyle. It has articles about birds' nests, oak galls or apples, and earthquakes. It visits a Lithuanian country house and "the backwoods of America." And provides quite a number of other interesting diversions in reading. An uncommon find, in need of a new package.