Sixpenny Magazine was a popular magazine that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century under John Maxwell as part of the expanding market for affordable, mass produced magazines of literature. Sixpenny incorporated a blend of fiction, poetry, essays, and moral tales at the accessible price of sixpence, hence its name. Like many Victorian magazines of its kind, it reflected social, moral, and literary values in its time. The magazine catered to a growing literate middle and working class. Over time, several editions and revivals appeared, each continuing the magazine’s mission to deliver quality stories to a wide range for a modest cost.
Sixpenny Magazine was scrapped together after Maxwell’s former Robin Goodfellow Magazine folded, as a Victorian era illustrated monthly magazine that was published by Ward and Lock from 1861 until 1868 along with Halfpenny Journal, its cheaper weekly counterpart. [1] Sixpenny Magazine featured serialized novels, popularizing most notably, “Lady Audley’s Secret” by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Maxwell’s partner and later wife in 1874. [1] Its serialization began in 1861 in Robin Goodfellow and continued in Sixpenny. The success of this novel formed a turning point in Braddon’s writing career and solidified her spot as an influential sensational fiction writer, calling more attention to Sixpenny Magazine in the process. [1] Another one of Braddon’s works, “Captain of the Vulture” was serialized and contributed further to the magazine’s reputation for narratives that captivated readers and built anticipation. [2]
With a combination of engaging content and affordability, Sixpenny Magazine reflected consumer appetite for literature and was a major influence on Victorian writing.[ citation needed ]
John Maxwell republished authors works in Sixpenny Magazine that he paid for contributions, a set rate of money per word or phrase. [3] He often overstepped his payment and republished entire books or installments. [3] Tenured at Illustrated Times , Maxwell likely adopted the lack of formality. (Jokes and news reports were often overlooked in legal action on copyright, but literary works were valued much higher). Following pressed charges at the Court of Chancery was the 1842 Copyright Act which gave authors more copyright protection for longer, and required more formal transference of ownership, posing an even bigger obstacle for Maxwell and Sixpenny’s publication. [3]
Physical format
Sixpenny Magazine was a monthly miscellany, about 18–22 cm tall. The magazine used relatively low-quality paper (light-weight sheets often somewhat fragile) with illustrations that suffer over time. The cover and wrapper would often be simpler, not lavish, due to cost constraints. Illustrations Included wood engravings or line-drawn woodcut-style art (vignettes, small decorative devices, full-page plate illustrations when possible), especially for serial stories. The art tends to be black & white, sharply contrasted, with line shading. [4]
Typography
Sixpenny's typography included serif typefaces for body text; probably older style serif or “modernized old style” faces common in Britain in that mid-19th century period. (These have moderate contrast between thick & thin strokes, bracketed serifs, and relatively modest slants in italics.) Headings/titles often use more decorative serif display type, slightly more ornamented. The use of initials/drop caps at the start of articles or chapters was common. [4]
Layout
Text in Sixpenny Magazine was laid out in narrow columns (often two or three) to ease reading in small trim sizes. Pages included bolded headings/chapter titles, centered or full width. Subheadings may be smaller or possibly inset. Illustrations are often embedded in the text, sometimes spanning or crossing column boundaries, but with captions beneath. The magazine also incorporated decorative borders/ornamentation (flourishes, corner devices) around title pages or wrappers. [4]
Cover/wrapper design
Sixpenny included simple wrappers, often monochrome or limited color (if any color), with the magazine name, volume/issue number, price (sixpence), imprint, perhaps a decorative border or woodcut vignette. More deluxe binding was implemented for half-yearly/yearly volumes: cloth binding, gilt lettering, embossed decorations etc. Single issues are generally plain. [4]
The Sixpenny Magazine did not receive any formal awards or public recognition. However, they were the first ever cheap illustrated fiction magazines aimed at the growing literate working class. John Maxwell was a pioneer of cheap literature, helping to democratize reading. [4] Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s "Lady Audley’s Secret" was one of the most famous sensation novels of its time. [4] The novel became a Victorian literary phenomenon, which brought Braddon and Maxwell considerable fame. Overall, the novel gave the Sixpenny Magazine great recognition during the Victorian era, which to this day modern researchers deem pivotal in sensation fiction history. [5]
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