The Knickerbocker
Encyclopedia
The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine, was a literary magazine
of New York City
, founded by Charles Fenno Hoffman
in 1833, and published until 1865 under various titles, including:
Its long-term editor was Lewis Gaylord Clark
, whose "Editor's Table" column was a staple of the magazine.
, was the founding editor of The Knickerbocker in 1833, though he helmed only three issues. Clark bought the magazine in April 1834 and served as editor until 1861. By 1840, The Knickerbocker was the most influential literary publication of its time. The year before, Washington Irving
had reluctantly joined the staff at a salary of $2,000 a year and would stay on staff until 1841. Irving disliked magazine work, specifically because of its monthly deadlines and space constraints. However, in his "Geoffrey Crayon
" persona, he justified his choice in his debut issue: "I am tired... of writing volumes... there is too much preparation, arrangement, and parade... I have thought, therefore, of securing to myself a snug corner in some periodical work, where I might, as it were, loll at my ease in my elbow chair."
The circle of writers who contributed to the magazine and populated its cultural milieu are often known as the "Knickerbocker writers" or the "Knickerbocker group
". The group included such authors as William Cullen Bryant
, James Kirke Paulding
, Gulian Crommelin Verplanck
, Fitz-Greene Halleck
, Joseph Rodman Drake
, Robert Charles Sands
, Lydia M. Child, Nathaniel Parker Willis
, and Epes Sargent
. Other writers associated with the group include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
, Oliver Wendell Holmes
, James Russell Lowell
, Bayard Taylor
, George William Curtis
, Richard Henry Stoddard
, Elizabeth Clementine Stedman
, John Greenleaf Whittier
, Horace Greeley
, James Fenimore Cooper
, Fitz Hugh Ludlow
and Frederick Swartwout Cozzens
. The Knickerbocker was one of the earliest publications of its type to pay its contributing writers.
, Hiram Powers
, Horatio Greenough
, and Frederick Styles Agate
.
The Knickerbocker printed the earliest-known reference to the joke "Why did the chicken cross the road?
"
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, founded by Charles Fenno Hoffman
Charles Fenno Hoffman
Charles Fenno Hoffman was an American author, poet and editor associated with the Knickerbocker group in New York.-Biography:...
in 1833, and published until 1865 under various titles, including:
- The Knickerbacker: or, New-York monthly magazine, from January through June 1833,
- The Knickerbocker: or, New-York monthly magazine, from 1833 through 1862,
- The Knickerbocker monthly: a national magazine, from 1863 through February,1864,
- The American monthly knickerbocker, from March through December 1864,
- The American monthly, from January through June 1865, and
- The Fœderal American monthly from July through October, 1865.
Its long-term editor was Lewis Gaylord Clark
Lewis Gaylord Clark
Lewis Gaylord Clark was an American editor and the brother of Willis Gaylord Clark.-Biography:Clark was born in Otisco, New York in 1808. He succeeded Charles Fenno Hoffman as editor of the Knickerbocker Magazine, a role he held for over 25 years...
, whose "Editor's Table" column was a staple of the magazine.
History
Hoffman, along with fellow members of the Eucleian SocietyEucleian Society
The Eucleian Society is a student society begun at New York University in 1832. - Origins :In 1832 sixteen students began the Eucleian Society at New York University, originally under the name “Adelphic Society”...
, was the founding editor of The Knickerbocker in 1833, though he helmed only three issues. Clark bought the magazine in April 1834 and served as editor until 1861. By 1840, The Knickerbocker was the most influential literary publication of its time. The year before, Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
had reluctantly joined the staff at a salary of $2,000 a year and would stay on staff until 1841. Irving disliked magazine work, specifically because of its monthly deadlines and space constraints. However, in his "Geoffrey Crayon
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., commonly referred to as The Sketch Book, is a collection of 34 essays and short stories written by American author Washington Irving. It was published serially throughout 1819 and 1820...
" persona, he justified his choice in his debut issue: "I am tired... of writing volumes... there is too much preparation, arrangement, and parade... I have thought, therefore, of securing to myself a snug corner in some periodical work, where I might, as it were, loll at my ease in my elbow chair."
The circle of writers who contributed to the magazine and populated its cultural milieu are often known as the "Knickerbocker writers" or the "Knickerbocker group
Knickerbocker Group
The Knickerbocker Group was a collection of three men, Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, and William Cullen Bryant, who were American pioneers in the literary fields of general literature, novels, and poetry and journalism, respectively...
". The group included such authors as William Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.-Youth and education:...
, James Kirke Paulding
James Kirke Paulding
James Kirke Paulding was an American writer and, for a time, the United States Secretary of the Navy.-Biography:...
, Gulian Crommelin Verplanck
Gulian Crommelin Verplanck
Gulian Crommelin Verplanck was a New York politician and sometime man of letters.-Biography:Verplanck was born in Wall Street in New York City, the son of Congressman Daniel C. Verplanck. He graduated B.A. from Columbia College in 1801, then studied law with Josiah Ogden Hoffman and was admitted...
, Fitz-Greene Halleck
Fitz-Greene Halleck
Fitz-Greene Halleck was an American poet notable for his satires and as one of the Knickerbocker Group. Born and reared in Guilford, Connecticut, he went to New York City at the age of 20, and lived and worked there for nearly four decades. He was sometimes called "the American Byron"...
, Joseph Rodman Drake
Joseph Rodman Drake
Joseph Rodman Drake was an early American poet.- Biography :Born in New York City, he was orphaned when young and entered a mercantile house. While still a child, he showed a talent for writing poems. He was educated at Columbia. In 1813 he began studying in a physician's office...
, Robert Charles Sands
Robert Charles Sands
Robert Charles Sands was an American writer and poet....
, Lydia M. Child, Nathaniel Parker Willis
Nathaniel Parker Willis
Nathaniel Parker Willis , also known as N. P. Willis, was an American author, poet and editor who worked with several notable American writers including Edgar Allan Poe and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He became the highest-paid magazine writer of his day. For a time, he was the employer of former...
, and Epes Sargent
Epes Sargent (poet)
Epes Sargent was an American editor, poet and playwright.-Early life:Epes Sargent was the son of Epes Sargent and Hannah Dane Coffin , and was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on September 27, 1813, where his father was a ship master. In 1818 the family moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts...
. Other writers associated with the group include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
, Oliver Wendell Holmes
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was an American physician, professor, lecturer, and author. Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat...
, James Russell Lowell
James Russell Lowell
James Russell Lowell was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the Fireside Poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets who rivaled the popularity of British poets...
, Bayard Taylor
Bayard Taylor
Bayard Taylor was an American poet, literary critic, translator, and travel author.-Life and work:...
, George William Curtis
George William Curtis
George William Curtis was an American writer and public speaker, born in Providence, Rhode Island, of old New England stock.-Biography:...
, Richard Henry Stoddard
Richard Henry Stoddard
Richard Henry Stoddard was an American critic and poet.-Biography:Richard Henry Stoddard was born on July 2, 1825, in Hingham, Massachusetts. His father, a sea-captain, was wrecked and lost on one of his voyages while Richard was a child, and the lad went in 1835 to New York City with his mother,...
, Elizabeth Clementine Stedman
Elizabeth Clementine Stedman
Elizabeth Clementine Stedman was an American writer, a daughter of David L. Dodge, a sister of William E. Dodge and the mother of Edmund Clarence Stedman. She was born in New York City. She was married first to Edmund B. Stedman, a merchant who died in 1835, and was married again, in 1841, to...
, John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier was an influential American Quaker poet and ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. He is usually listed as one of the Fireside Poets...
, Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
, James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo...
, Fitz Hugh Ludlow
Fitz Hugh Ludlow
Fitz Hugh Ludlow, sometimes seen as “Fitzhugh Ludlow,” was an American author, journalist, and explorer; best-known for his autobiographical book The Hasheesh Eater ....
and Frederick Swartwout Cozzens
Frederick Swartwout Cozzens
Frederick Swartwout Cozzens was an American humorist, born in New York City. He became in early life a wine merchant, and later editor of the Wine Press...
. The Knickerbocker was one of the earliest publications of its type to pay its contributing writers.
Content
The Knickerbocker was devoted to the fine arts in particular with occasional news and editorials. Full-length biographical sketches were also printed on such artists as Gilbert StuartGilbert Stuart
Gilbert Charles Stuart was an American painter from Rhode Island.Gilbert Stuart is widely considered to be one of America's foremost portraitists...
, Hiram Powers
Hiram Powers
Hiram Powers was an American neoclassical sculptor.-Biography:The son of a farmer, Powers was born in Woodstock, Vermont, on the July 29, 1805. In 1818 his father moved to Ohio, about six miles from Cincinnati, where the son attended school for about a year, staying meanwhile with his brother, a...
, Horatio Greenough
Horatio Greenough
Horatio Greenough was an American sculptor best known for his United States government commissions The Rescue and George Washington .-Biography:...
, and Frederick Styles Agate
Frederick Styles Agate
Frederick Styles Agate was a noted painter best known for his paintings Ugolino and Old Oaken Bucket....
.
The Knickerbocker printed the earliest-known reference to the joke "Why did the chicken cross the road?
Why did the chicken cross the road?
"Why did the chicken cross the road?" is a common riddle or joke in several languages. The answer or punchline is: "To get to the other side". The riddle is an example of anti-humor, in that the curious setup of the joke leads the listener to expect a traditional punchline, but they are instead...
"
Further reading
- Spivey, Herman Everette. "The Knickerbocker Magazine, 1833-1865: A Study of its History, Contents, and Significance." Ph.D. dissertation, University of North Carolina, 1936.
- Mott, Frank Luther. A History of American Magazines, volume 1 (1741-1850). Harvard University Press/Belknap, 1930. ISBN 0-674-39550-6.
External links
- The Knickerbocker at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(scanned books original editions color illustrated) - The Knickerbacker v. 1 at Google Book SearchGoogle Book SearchGoogle Books is a service from Google that searches the full text of books that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical character recognition, and stored in its digital database. The service was formerly known as Google Print when it was introduced at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October...
- The Knickerbocker v. 2 at Google Book SearchGoogle Book SearchGoogle Books is a service from Google that searches the full text of books that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical character recognition, and stored in its digital database. The service was formerly known as Google Print when it was introduced at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October...