Popular Scottish magazine culture, 1870-1920 : press, print, nation

Lauder, Charlotte A. A.

Thesis

Popular Scottish magazine culture, 1870-1920 : press, print, nation

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Creator

Lauder, Charlotte A. A.

Rights statement

Strathclyde Thesis Copyright

Awarding institution

University of Strathclyde

Date of award

2023

Thesis identifier

T16763

Person Identifier (Local)

201859117

Qualification Level

Doctoral (Postgraduate)

Qualification Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department, School or Faculty

Abstract

In the study of modern Scottish literature, Scottish magazines published between 1870 and 1920 have been noticeably neglected. Despite this, they were one of the most popular forms of literary consumption in Scotland throughout the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. They were primarily issued weekly, at the cost of one penny, contained a variety of verse, short fiction, and serial novels, and were staple sources of information, entertainment, and household reading. As such, they have had a considerable impact on modern Scottish literature. This thesis is the first examination of magazines produced in Scotland between 1870 and 1920. It considers what made magazines popular and assesses the role they played in shaping Scottish national identity. By relying on a variety of printed and manuscript magazines, as well as unseen archival material and private archival collections, this thesis focusses primarily on the literature that was published in Scottish magazines. It also plays close attention to the people behind the press, including the proprietors, editors, and contributors of massproduced magazines, as well as literary enthusiasts who made amateur and manuscript magazines. The first chapters concentrate primarily on the People’s Friend, which was by far the most popular and widely circulated Scottish magazine of the period. These chapters examine the wide-ranging influence of the People’s Friend on Scottish literature, print culture, and national identity. The final chapters explore the wider culture of magazine production in Scotland, including magazines that acted a networks for fin-de-siècle cultural revivalists, and little magazines that predate the peak of little magazine production during the Scottish Renaissance of the 1920s. Ultimately, this thesis demonstrates that Scottish magazines were culturally and literarily engaged between 1870 and 1920, during which they constructed a distinct sense of Scottish national identity.

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