University of Virginia Library

The American Magazine and Historical Chronicle.

The first number of this Magazine, for September, 1743,[39]
was published on the 20th of the following October. It
was printed on a fine medium paper in 8vo. Each number
contained fifty pages; and was published, monthly, by
"Samuel Eliot, in Cornhill, and Joshua Blanchard in Dock-Square,"
booksellers; and printed by Rogers & Fowle, "in

"Prison Lane," who were also concerned in the publication,
and, after the first year, were sole proprietors of it.
Jeremy Gridley, Esq., who had edited the Rehearsal, it has
been said, was also the editor of this magazine.

The following is an extract from the prospectus, viz: It
will contain "1. A summary Rehearsal of the proceedings
and debates in the British Parliament. 2. A View of
the weekly and monthly Dissertations, Essays, &c., selected
from the publick Papers and Pamphlets published in London
and the Plantations, viz: Political State, Transactions
of the Royal Society, &c., with Extracts from new Books.
3. Dissertations, Letters and Essays, moral, civil, political,
humorous and polemical. 4. Select Pieces, relating to the
Arts and Sciences. 5. Governour's Speeches, with the
Proceedings of the Assembly, and an Abridgment of the
Laws enacted in the respective Provinces and Colonies.
6. Poetical Essays on various Subjects. 7. Monthly Chronologer,
containing an Account of the most remarkable
Events, Foreign and Domestick. 8. Price Current. 9.
Births and Deaths. 10. A Catalogue of New Books. The
Magazine will be continued of the same Size, that so the
Twelve Months may be bound in the same Volume at the
Year's end with a compleat Index, which shall be added to
the Month of December."

This Magazine imitated The London Magazine in its appearance;
a large cut of the town of Boston, in the title
page, answered to a similar cut of the city of London in
the title page of the London Magazine. Its pages were
like those of that publication in size, two columus in a
page, divided by the capital letters, A B C D E and F, at
a distance from each other, and not by a line, or as printers
term it, by rules. The imprint, "Boston: Printed by
Rogers & Fowle, and Sold by S. Eliot & J. Blanchard, in
Boston; B. Franklin, in Philadelphia; J. Parker, in NewYork;
J. Pomroy, in New Haven; C. Campbell, Post-Master,

New Port. Price Three Shillings, New Tenor, a Quarter,"
equal to half a dollar. It was well printed, on a long primer
type, and was not inferior to the London and other
magazines, then published in that city; but the extensive
plan marked out in its prospectus could not be brought
within the number of pages allowed to the work. In the
general title page for the year, the before-mentioned view
of the town of Boston, was impressed from a copperplate
engraving; both the cut and the plate were as well executed
as things of the kind generally were for the English
magazines.

This work was issued three years and four months, and
then discontinued. It has no cuts or plates excepting those
for the title pages.