19th century British Press
Newly invented steam-powered printing presses brought about a sea-change in
printing methods and boosted the circulation of both local and national papers.
The growth of journalism
At the beginning of the 19th century, a newspaper
circulating two or three thousand copies a day was
looked upon as phenomenally successful, by the end of
the century, circulations rising to 250,000 or more daily
were recorded of the penny newspapers, which had
now become the dearer class; and much larger of the
halfpenny press.
There had also been a multiplication in the number of
daily and weekly journals; and, in their supply of news,
some of the best of the provincial papers rivalled the
majority of those published in London.
Increase / decrease
• Syn. For increase: go up, flare up, soar up,
rocket up, skyrocket, be on the rise, reach a
peak, reach an apex.
• Syn. For decrease: fall, dwindle, go down,
collapse, plummet, reach a through.
reduce, curb, cut down, check = réduire
A significant increase / a dramatic increase in
the number of papers. A fall in the prices.
Why did newspapers multiply so dramatically
throughout the 19th century?
The extension of British journalism has been the result of:
1 cheapness and of ability to obtain news in increasing quantity, and
with greater accuracy always with increasing speed.
2 a constant growth of revenue from advertisements.
3 The dramatic development of shipping, manufacturing and
finance.
4 the construction of railways, and even the invention of the motorcar, which have revolutionised the means of placing newspapers in
the hands of readers.
5 the growing number of religious organizations, of projects for
social betterment, the multiplication of universities and of
scientific and literary societies.
6 the spread of concerts and of tours by dramatic companies, each
of them advertising and requiring notices of its performances.
7 An ever increasing freedom of the press.
8 The technical improvements making illustrations cheaper and
easier to print and paper more eye-catching and entertaining.
Exprimer la conséquence
Avec des mots de liaison: thanks to, owing to, due to + GN
(Owing to technical improvements, printing illustrations
became cheaper); since, as, because + Proposition (Since
the cost of illustrations dwindled, illustrated periodicals
thrived).
Avec des verbes : permit, enable, facilitate, cause, trigger,
spark, generate, bring about / forth, breed, lead on to,
foster (new means of transportations trigger a dramatic
increase in the number of newspaper articles)
Avec des locutions et expression: make it easier for someone
to do, pave the way for, lay the foundations for (Fewer
press restrictions made it easier for journalist to tackle a
wide range of subjects).
Prior to 1814, not more than 750 impressions an hour could be
obtained from one machine, and, if more than one machine were
operated, for each was required a duplicate set of types. In 1814,
John Walter, the second of that name who owned The
Times, showed that, with the aid of steam, newspapers could be
printed at the rate of 1100 copies per hour.
Various improvements were made afterwards, greatly expediting the
work. But, half-way in the century, papermakers made long rolls of
paper, to run in a press fitted with cylinders on which were fixed, in
the first instance, type, and, afterwards, cast metal plates
reproducing pages of type; so that, by the end of the century, one
cylindrical press could print, at the rate of 25,000 copies per hour,
journals twice the size of those issued at the beginning of the
century.
The Penny Magazine, published
every Saturday, was aimed at the
working class. It was part of the
Society for the Diffusion of Useful
Knowledge's program for liberal
reform. For its reader, however, it
was a source of information on
subjects of general interest:
everyday things like tea and
coffee, well-known places in
England, a series on animals and
birds of Britain, descriptions of
present-day manufacturing, even
an American almanac and a serial
of a personal account of an
immigrant's problems. Poetry was
published, too, and there are
several illustrations in each issue.
By the early 19th century there were 52
London papers and over 100 other titles.
As stamp, paper and other duties were
progressively reduced from the 1830s
onwards (all duties on newspapers were
gone by 1855) there was a massive growth
in overall circulation as major events and
improved communications developed the
public's need for information.
The Illustrated London
News was the world's
first illustrated weekly
newspaper; the first
issue appeared on
Saturday 14 May 1842.
It was published
weekly until 1971 and
then increasingly less
frequently until
publication ceased in
2003.
George Cruikshank (1792-1878), The Royal Menagerie, on the Road to Ruin
Spain, March 12, 1823. Etching with hand-coloring. GA Cruikshank Cohn 1924.
Gift of Richard W. Meirs, class of 1888.
Old Antique
Historical
Victorian Prints
Maps and Historic
Fine Art----------.
Engraved Print
Reading News
Newspaper C1850
Taylor Art
Switzerland
Antique Prints .
Old Antique
Historical
Victorian
Prints Maps
and Historic
Fine Art ---------. 1888 Street
Scene Reading
Newpaper
Dog Man Stick
Print One
Page From
The Graphic
C1850-1899