University of Virginia Library

Appendix: A Sample Description

The following sample description of The Broadway 1, no. 6 (February 1868), presents some of the situations and concerns that are likely to arise in dealing with periodicals, while underscoring the many similarities that exist between periodicals and books.

This account of The Broadway is not intended as a full description, but as an illustration of many of the matters previously discussed, including the problem of having to work with a limited number of copies.[36] In this case, all copies examined are bound volumes resulting from semi-active aggregation, so the sample also shows how one might proceed when the number in wrappers has not been located.

The sample description emphasizes the importance of placing the individual number in context. This takes place primarily in the introductory notes, which present an overview of the periodical's first volume with special reference to the position of Number 6 in the volume's history and to the special features of this number. The prose commentary supplied in the sample could be shortened or even replaced with a brief listing of crucial elements if space were limited. In any case, the introductory note for this number would contain considerably less information about the general history of the periodical if several numbers were being described, and in those circumstances some elements of the description proper, such as the publisher's case and related materials described in the "Miscellaneous" section, would be presented elsewhere and not repeated in individual descriptions. Also, if the contents of The Broadway were indexed in Wellesley or elsewhere, it might not be necessary to provide full titles and author's signatures in the description's contents section.

The organization of the sample description reflects the particular features of this number of The Broadway. For example, the wrapper is presented in the section on binding because the information it records is already mentioned in the introductory notes and in the title-page transcription. Since the number includes a relatively small number of illustrations, they are indicated both in the contents proper and in a separate, more detailed subsection.

The section on typography illustrates the tendency of periodicals to shift type sizes both for reasons of space (which probably accounts for the presentation of "Mrs. Holmes Grey" in double columns) and to use typography to distinguish among various sorts of headings and signatures. But here and elsewhere many elements appear essentially as they might in a description of a book, thus demonstrating that bibliographical description of periodicals is both feasible and appropriate.

The Broadway, 1, no. 6 (February 1868)

introductory notes.[37] Overview. The monthly magazine The Broadway began publication in August 1867, under the editorship of Edmund Routledge, the son of the magazine's publisher George Routledge (and a partner in his father's firm). The

periodical's plan was to appeal to British and American audiences through its contents and the inclusion of contributors from both countries. However, as Clarence Gohdes has observed, its orientation remained primarily British; The Broadway was "merely a London journal which devoted more than the average amount of space to American topics and which included a few contributions by such authors as the Cary sisters, Evert Duyckinck, and R. H. Stoddard."[38] The Broadway's editorial policy was modified in an announcement that appeared in Number 12 (August 1868), the last number of the magazine's first volume: "'The Broadway' will cease to be specially an 'Anglo-American' or an 'Americo-Anglican' magazine. We are convinced that there is a still Broader way in Literature and Art than that which spreads itself under the shadow of St. Paul's in London, or stretches from the Battery to Harlem Bridge in New York" (quoted in Gohdes, 61). While the magazine's wrapper provides a British and a New York publisher's address (and Gohdes also mentions that United States sales were conducted through Routledge's New York office [61]), the Routledge archives[39] do not indicate whether an American issue was produced. The British numbers were priced at sixpence.

Number 6 is notable for its inclusion of William Rossetti's poem "Mrs. Holmes Grey." Edmund Routledge was eager to enlist Rossetti as a contributor, writing to him twice in October of 1867. Neither The Broadway nor its editor made a good impression on Rossetti, who complained in a letter to Swinburne: "That most grovelling of publications the Broadway wrote to me some fortnight ago, asking me to contribute. I declined, instancing their prospectus as of itself enough to warn off any human writer" (October 29, 1867).[40] However, Routledge's assurance that "the character of the Magazine is being altered, and that various mighty writers ranging in calibre between Algernon Swinburne and Tom Taylor or Gerald Massey, are being invited" (Selected Letters, 181 — 182) seems to have persuaded Rossetti to send "Mrs. Holmes Grey" to Routledge in November. Having secured the poem, Routledge then tried (without success) to obtain an illustration by Dante Rossetti to accompany it. Ultimately A. B. Houghton was chosen to depict the scene at the coffin (plate 2 below).[41] Rossetti's diary entry for January 28, 1868, reports that the February number was "out" on that date (Rossetti Papers, 296).

Routledge's pursuit of contributions from the Rossetti brothers shows him to have been a hardworking and ambitious editor. He may have been too ambitious, for The Broadway's first volume began to show signs of cost-cutting as early as Number 5, when the wrapper, formerly printed in red and black ink, was printed in black only. Additional economically inspired changes took place after the publication of Number 6. First, the numbers became shorter: Numbers 1 — 6 contain 40 leaves (not including the title page), but subsequent numbers contain only 30 (Nos. 7 — 11) or 32 leaves [No. 12]). Next, the quantity of plates was reduced from two per number (Nos. 1 — 9) to one plate in Numbers 10 and 11, and none in 12. These cost-cutting measures coincide with reductions in the total copies printed. While 90,000 copies of the first number are recorded in Routledge's Publications Books, the entry for Number 6, dated January 31, 1868, indicates that only 30,000 copies were printed, on 150 reams of double-demy paper.[42] The print run continued to decrease to 18,000 copies of Number 11 and rose only slightly to 20,000 for Number 12.[43]

Printing and publication history. Neither the copies examined nor the Routledge archives give any evidence of more than one edition or issue of Number 6, or of active aggregation of the volume. The wrapper of 1.1 (Newberry copy) contains the

phrase "Third Edition, making 90,000," but while Routledge's publication books confirm that 90,000 copies were printed, they do not indicate how many impressions were made of that or of any other number.

Semi-active aggregation is indicated by an advertisement for publisher's case in Number 12 (August), at a price of 1s. 6d.; apparently the "Title Page, Contents, Etc." which are listed on the title-page of Number 12 were provided with that number.

All numbers examined are part of bound volumes. Of these, the Newberry copy contains a single-leaf title-page (with advertisements on verso) for each number; the title-page leaves are not included in the pagination. The title-pages may have been part of a preliminary gathering, as indicated by the page number 16 and the running title "The Broadway Advertiser" which appear on the verso of the leaf in Number 6. The Waterloo entry mentions "16 — 20 pp" of advertisements per number, but does not indicate which numbers were examined.

Both the National Union Catalogue Pre-1956 Imprints (77:127) and Supplement (702:508) record a possible volume issue published in 1868 under the title Novels, tales and poetry. The entries refer to this publication as a "reprint" of The Broadway volume 1, and the number of pages matches the number of pages in the bound volumes I have examined. I have not been able to examine these copies and cannot confirm that they include Number 6.

Collation. 80: π1 26 — 308 [&$1 signed], 41 leaves, pp. 15 16 401 — 480; page numbers in upper outer corner, flush with text margin, except centered on first page of articles (401, 429, 437, 445, 449, 460, 466, 473, 480).

The first leaf seems to have been part of a preliminary gathering of advertisements. Since the final gathering of Number 5 is signed 25, the signature of the gathering that contained π1 cannot be inferred.

contents.[44] 15 title; 16 three ads "Housekeeper's Books" (5 titles), "Newton Wilson & Co's New Hand Sewing Machines"; "Blair's Gout and Rheumatic Pills"; 401 text headed 'Brakespeare; [black letter] | OR, | THE FORTUNES OF A FREE LANCE. | BY THE AUTHOR OF "GUY LIVINGSTONE," ETC., ETC. | [rule 32 mm] | CHAPTER XXIV. | THE BATTLE.' & text; on 406 'CHAPTER XXV. | RALPH AND LANYON WITNESS A TRIAL FOR SORCERY.'; on 415 'CHAPTER XXVI. | RALPH PAYS A MIDNIGHT VISIT TO HAWKWOOD.'; 417 text headed 'CHAPTER XXVII. | SACRILEGE.'; on 423 'CHAPTER XXVIII. | LES TARDSVENUS.'; 429 text headed 'Public Statues in London. [black letter] | BY FRANCIS TURNER PALGRAVE, | Late Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. | PART I.'; 437 text headed 'Emigrants in America. [black letter] | BY ROBERT TOMES,' & illus; 445 text headed 'Provincial Dramatic Critics Criticised.' [black letter] (s 'B.' 448); 449 text headed 'Mrs. Holmes Grey. [black letter] | BY WILLIAM M. ROSSETTI.'; 460 text headed 'International Prejudices. [black letter] | BY HENRY SEDLEY, | Editor of the "New York Round Table."'; 466 text headed 'Second Thoughts. [black letter] | BY F. C. BURNAND. | [rule, 10 mm] | CHAPTER XV. | STORY OF THE GOOD-HEARTED FELLOW, CONTINUED.'; on 468 illus & text; 470 'CHAPTER XVI. | THE STORY OF A GOOD FELLOW CONTINUED.'; 473 text headed 'New York Theatres. [black letter] | BY MOLYNEUX ST. JOHN. | PART I.' & illus; 480 'A Valentine.' [black letter] & 3 stanzas (s 'E.R.')

illustrations. On 437: engraving [87 x 118] of Castle Garden building, foreground: trees at left and right and small group of figures in center; background: sea. On 468: engraving [32 x 87] to depict illegible writing (as mentioned in text). On 473: engraving [61 x 91] of buildings on left and right of street, foreground: street; caption 'WALLACK'S THEATRE.'

plates. 1. Facing 419. [182 x 114; no plate mark] Two figures on horseback, veiled female on left, male holding dagger on right; right background: two men in armor, fighting. Letterpress caption: '6 Page 419. | THEN FROM UNDER THE DARK ROBE CAME A BRIGHT FLASH; AND, WITH ONE SMOTHERED | SHRIEK, THE GIRL SANK SIDEWAYS TO THE GROUND.' Signed: design forming initials JAP (J. A. Pasquier?); 'E. Evans Sc'. Paper thickness: .112.

2. Facing 449. [164 x 114; no plate mark] Two men standing beside and looking into open coffin, woman's face visible within coffin. Letterpress caption: '6 Page 452. | "They stood beside the coffin's foot and head. | Both gazed in silence, with bowed faces — Grey | With bony chin pressed into bony throat."' Not signed [but by A. B. Houghton (Rossetti Papers 243, 284 — 285)]. Paper thickness: .112.

paper. White wove unwatermarked.

typography. Main text: 40 lines (p. 433); text 160.3 (170.3) x 101 mm; 10 lines = 40.3 mm; face 2.3 (1.3x) mm. Note: pp. 449 — 459, two columns per page, with variable spaces between paragraphs of verse; p. 456, text left column 161 (168.3), right 162 (169) x 50.3 mm each; total page width 105.3; for both columns 10 lines = 28 mm; face 2 (1.3) mm. Running titles: black letter face, 3.3 (2.3x), centered above text with no rule beneath; text varies with section title; pp. 416 'Brakespeare; or,' and 417 'The Fortunes of a Free Lance.' No RT on first page of article. RT on 16 in normal face (2 mm), 'The Broadway Advertiser.' with rule beneath. Pagination: Black letter face, 3.3 mm (p. 433). Direction line: volume number 1.6 mm, signature 2 mm. Article titles: black letter face 7 (3x) mm. End-of-text bylines: face 2.3 mm. Rules: short rules [10 mm] between chapters of fiction on 415, 423, 469. Double rules at end of item on 428 [32 mm]; 448 [35 mm]; 480 [42.3 mm].

binding. Paper wrapper: thickness .184 mm; color: light yellowish pink. Front: [the following within double rule border 204 x 128 (202 x 125) mm] [design: two women; woman on left wears helmet; woman on right, no helmet, dress with stars on bodice, striped skirt; each woman extends one arm towards the other, clasping hands in center of design; each woman holds trident in other hand (left) or arm (right), and each woman stands on a pedestal, upon which hangs a shield representing Britain (left) and United States (right). Women stand in front of large circular frieze with a small scroll at the top. In front of the women and beneath their hands is a larger scroll; ends of scroll are wound around the staffs of the two tridents]. Text: [between points of tridents] PRICE SIXPENCE | [within small scroll at top of circle] 1868 | [within another small scroll suspended above clasped hands] THE [within larger scroll below hands] BROADWAY | LONDON | AND | NEW YORK.| [within left pedestal, above shield] No. 6. [within right pedestal, above shield] FEBRUARY. | [in rectangle between pedestals] A | MONTHLY | MAGAZINE | [within rectangle beneath pedestals] LONDON: THE BROADWAY. LUDGATE. NEW YORK: 416, BROOME STREET. Note: the lines "A MONTHLY MAGAZINE" are in outline face. Inside front: 4 ads, "Benson's Watches," "Brown & Polson's Patent Corn Flour," "Maravilla Cocoa," "Bryant and Mays Patent Safety Matches". Inside back: 3 ads, "John Gosnell & Co.," "Maizena," "Keating's Cough Lozenges". Back: 2 ads, "Railway Passengers Assurance Company," "Crosse & Blackwell". Spine: not available.

miscellaneous. A publisher's case, frontispiece, volume title and volume contents were available for volume 1 of The Broadway.

Publisher's case: medium green calico, stamped in gilt. Front: within double rule border (213 x 114, 209.5 x 112 mm) another diamond-shaped double rule compartment, within which: 'THE | BROADWAY | ANNUAL' on background of fish, shells. Back: blindstamped design same as front but no text or ornamentation within diamond compartment. Spine: oval design, ornamented with trident (at top) and fish (at bottom), and background of acorns and oak leaves, and containing three scrolls, each containing one word in intaglio: 'THE | BROADWAY | ANNUAL'.

Frontispiece: (on grey background, 164.3 x 107 mm, within thick-thin gilt rule frame, 173 x 115.7 [170 x 113] mm), illustration of two women, standing in front of a rose bower, sharing a copy of The Broadway, with another copy at their feet (to left). Woman on the left light-haired, with flower in hair, wearing pendant; woman on right dark-haired with a crown of six stars, striped dress. Signed: (on bottom left) 'McE' (on bottom right) 'W. T. Homas, Sc.' Text (not letterpress; at bottom, still within grey): 'Be rivals only in your love.'

Volume title: (on grey background, 165.3 X 108 mm, within thick-thin gilt rule frame, 173 x 116, 170 x 113 mm) THE | BROADWAY | ANNUAL | A MISCELLANY OF | ORIGINAL LITERATURE | IN | POETRY AND PROSE. | [ornament, leaf pointing down, 4.5 x 3.7 mm] | LONDON AND NEW YORK: | GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS.

Volume contents: a gathering of four leaves, signed 'b' on i. Contents as follows: i untitled poem, stanzas I — III, first line 'One face from where the Northern star'; ii device, "Harrild Printer London"; iii through v 'CONTENTS.', vi 'LIST OF FULLPAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.'; vii 'A LIST OF AUTHORS.' and 'LIST OF ARTISTS.'; viii within single rule frame [180 x 105 mm] ad for 'NEW SERIES. | [wavy rule 31.3 mm] | THE BROADWAY MAGAZINE, | PRICE ONE SHILLING, MONTHLY. | [wavy rule 31.7 mm] | No. 1, READY ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1868, | CONTAINS THE OPENING CHAPTERS OF | NEW NOVELS | BY | HENRY KINGSLEY and ANNIE THOMAS; | AS WELL AS | PAPERS AND POEMS | BY JAMES HANNAY, | FREDERIC LOCKER, | WALT WHITMAN, | BARRY CORNWALL, | THE REV. NEWMAN HALL; | AND OTHERS.'

copies examined. All volumes include frontispiece, volume title, and volume contents.

ICN (Newberry) A 51.168. Bound volume, wrappers and title-pages intact.

IEN (Northwestern) 051.B8635. Bound volume, publisher's case. No head titles or wrappers. Missing pages vii and viii, 1 — 2, 49 — 50.

TxU (U of Texas, Austin) Woolf 7717. Bound volume. No title-pages or wrappers.

TxHR (Rice) AP4.B9. Bound volume. No title-pages or wrappers.