Tattles, Rambles & General Idleness

The first magazine to actually be called a “magazine” was The Gentleman’s Magazine, published in England. It also was the first publication with content based on a mixed diet of general amusement and information. The most remarkable thing about it was its longevity: The Gentleman’s Magazine began publication in 1731 and didn’t cease until 1907.

But it wasn’t the first periodical in magazine format. Journals of essays were produced in England, Germany and France as early as the 1660s. Best known were several 18th-Century publications, The Tatler, The Spectator, The Rambler and The Idler. While their names suggest whimsy, they carried the works of notables including Samuel Johnson, author and compiler of an early dictionary, and Sir Richard Steele, playwright and member of Parliament. Interestingly, while they were somewhat influential on public opinion and affairs, none of those four essay journals lasted longer than three years.