Town Topics (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Town Topics: The Journal of Society was a magazine published in New York City by William d'Alton Mann
and others from 1879 to 1937 (v. 1-105, no. 56). Title varies: Andrew's American Queen; Art, Music, Literature and Society (Jan. 1879-Sept. 16, 1882); and American Queen (Sept. 23, 1882-Feb. 21, 1885)
The magazine had begun life some years earlier as The American Queen, edited by Louis Keller
, the founder of the Social Register
, and "dedicated to art, music, literature, and society." Under Mann, however, it ripened into a scandal sheet
, faithfully reporting high-society peccadilloes and often identifying perpetrators by name.
It was possible for the wealthy public figures to delay or bury a story by buying some advertising in the newspaper.
The main method it used was to print an innocuous article with the name of the individual on which it had a piece of hot gossip. On the other side of the page would be a blind piece going into the scandal without the name of the person involved. By running the article giving identification and the scandal separately it was possible for Mann to avoid liability for extortion, libel and slander.
The publication was responsible for the divorce of Emily Post
from her husband, Edwin in 1906, when the magazine's most popular feature, titled “Saunterings," exposed Mr. Post's affair with another woman.
William d'Alton Mann
William d'Alton Mann was an American Civil War soldier, businessman, and newspaper and magazine publisher....
and others from 1879 to 1937 (v. 1-105, no. 56). Title varies: Andrew's American Queen; Art, Music, Literature and Society (Jan. 1879-Sept. 16, 1882); and American Queen (Sept. 23, 1882-Feb. 21, 1885)
The magazine had begun life some years earlier as The American Queen, edited by Louis Keller
Louis Keller
Louis Keller is best known as the German-American New Yorker of wide social acquaintance who assembled and published the New York Social Register, which first appeared in 1886...
, the founder of the Social Register
Social Register
Specific to the United States, the Social Register is a directory of names and addresses of prominent American families who form the social elite, . The "Directory" automatically includes the President of the United States and the First Family, and in the past always included the U.S. Senators and...
, and "dedicated to art, music, literature, and society." Under Mann, however, it ripened into a scandal sheet
Scandal Sheet
Scandal Sheet is a black-and-white film noir directed by Phil Karlson. The film is based on the novel The Dark Page by Samuel Fuller, who himself was a newspaper reporter before his career in film...
, faithfully reporting high-society peccadilloes and often identifying perpetrators by name.
It was possible for the wealthy public figures to delay or bury a story by buying some advertising in the newspaper.
The main method it used was to print an innocuous article with the name of the individual on which it had a piece of hot gossip. On the other side of the page would be a blind piece going into the scandal without the name of the person involved. By running the article giving identification and the scandal separately it was possible for Mann to avoid liability for extortion, libel and slander.
The publication was responsible for the divorce of Emily Post
Emily Post
Emily Post was an American author famous for writing on etiquette.-Background:Post was born as Emily Price in Baltimore, Maryland, into privilege as the only daughter of architect Bruce Price and his wife Josephine Lee Price of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania...
from her husband, Edwin in 1906, when the magazine's most popular feature, titled “Saunterings," exposed Mr. Post's affair with another woman.
External links
- "A Short History of Rudeness
- Love, Robert, "Shakedown!", Columbia Journalism ReviewColumbia Journalism ReviewThe Columbia Journalism Review is an American magazine for professional journalists published bimonthly by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961....
, April 2006 - "Buoyant Buccaneer"
- "New York's School for Scandal Sheets"