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Transatlantic Civil Society in Periodicals, 1768–1925

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First Lady Florence Harding with Girl Scouts at White House, Washington DC, April 1922.

From the colonial period to the Roaring Twenties

As a rule, we develop a borrowed European idea forward, and Europe develops a borrowed American idea backwards.
Mark Twain,  Complete Essays

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Study the evolution of American-European social, economic, and cultural relations

A stamp printed in UK in the 1970s shows newspaper Daily Mail and aeroplane Vickers Vimy, the first nonstop transatlantic flight by Captain John Alcock and navigator Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown on June 14-15 1919.

This collection contains a series of American journals, magazines, and trade papers published in the United Kingdom and continental Europe from 1768 to 1925—a period that encompasses everything from the Boston Tea Party to the First World War. The periodicals are diverse in nature, but their focus is on social, cultural, and economic interchange between North America and Europe, with an emphasis on Anglo-American relations.  

Subject matter covered includes art (The Anglo-American Illustrated News), literature (The American Magazine), trade and commerce (The American Blue Book), leisure (American Referee And Cycle Trade Journal), tourism (The American Visitors’ News And Register And Colonial Gazette; America Abroad), émigré society gossip (American Society in Europe), politics (The London American), and white supremacy (The Anglo-Saxon), amongst other things. 

The collection is accompanied by a detailed publication guide. 

Contents

Transatlantic Civil Society in Periodicals, 1768–1925...

From the colonial period to the Roaring Twenties

Discover 
Vintage engraving from 1862 of the interior of the World's Fair of 1862, London, England

Highlights

Top of an article from The American Gazette titled A Letter from a Gentleman in Boston, dated 18 August 1768.

Licensed to access The American Gazette, 1768-1770

Published in the aftermath of the controversial Townshend Acts, the diverse items contained within 'The American Gazette' shed light on the emerging opposition to British rule in colonial North America.
Top of an American Society in Europe front cover dated May 1891, featuring an advertisement for Fry's Pure Cocoa.

Licensed to access American Society in Europe, 1891-1892

This newspaper, described by one scholar as "often quite sharp", published light society gossip, with much of the commentary centring on politicians and other notable figures.
Page from The American Trade Review, featuring a small stamp dated 13 August 1902.

Licensed to access The American Trade Review, 1902

Subtitled 'a journal of facts', 'The American Trade Review' catered to British exporters through informative articles and statistical tables detailing the major trends of Anglo-American trade.
Two-page spread from The American Directory & Who's Who in Europe. The left page features an advertisement for Higginson & Co. and the right page is the Directory's cover page.

Licensed to access The American Directory of Who's Who in Europe, 1922-1925

The Directory provides an unparalleled insight into American émigré society in Europe during the 1920s. It had separate editions for Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Insights

  • The periodicals highlight the interdependent nature of North American and European society, even during times of conflict and strife.
  • Many of the titles were published in England, and, as such, privileged Anglo-American relations, issues, and commerce.
  • While Canada receives much less attention than the United States, it still features regularly in some publications and prominently in others.
  • Magazines such as 'The American Directory of Who's Who in Europe' had several editions, each concerned with different European countries. 'The American Referee and Cycle Trade Journal', meanwhile, printed separate editions in English, French, and German.
  • In general, the periodicals were aimed at American travellers and residents in Europe, providing a guide to émigré society, news from North America, advice for tourists, or all three. The more trade-oriented journals, however, are addressed to British businessmen with an interest in American markets and products. A good example of this is the 'The Anglo-American and Mexican Mining Guide and General Financier'.
  • The collection is divided thematically into five volumes: Cultural Exchange, 1851-1914; Tourism and Emigration, 1884-1914; Conflict, 1768-1919; Investment and Finance, 1873-1912; and Trade and Commerce, 1897-1906.
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A Guide to Transatlantic Periodicals Published in the UK and Europe During the 18th, 19th, and 20th Centuries Contextual Essays

This article provides a brief summary of each publication included in Transatlantic Civil Society in Periodicals, 1768-1925. It is largely derived from the work of Greg Palmer from the Institute of U.S. Studies in London, who penned the original microfilm guide, American Newspapers and Periodicals Published in the U.K. and... Read more →
British Online Archives
Published 13th October, 2020

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