Burton's Gentleman's Magazine
literary publication from Philadelphia, U.S., 1837–1840
Burton's Gentleman's Magazine and American Monthly Review (sometimes ...and Monthly American Review or, more simply, Burton's Magazine) was a literary publication published in Philadelphia from 1837 to 1840. Its founder was William Evans Burton, an English-born immigrant to the United States who also managed a theatre and was a minor actor. Edgar Allan Poe was an editor and contributor in 1839–40.
Overview
William Evans Burton teamed with publisher Charles Alexander to produce a magazine inspired by the successful The Gentleman's Magazine in London. To offset the financial adversity amidst the Panic of 1837, they focused on local authors and nationalist themes, signaled in part by a frontispiece with both patriotic and gentlemanly imagery as well as an illustration of Benjamin Franklin. Burton hoped to create a magazine that would be "worthy of a place upon every parlour table of every gentleman in the United States". The magazine included poems, fiction, and essays, with an emphasis on sporting life. Articles featured sailing, cricket, hunting, and more. To compete with other magazines of the time, Burton's included extra illustrations and thicker paper than standard.
They released their first issue in July 1837 and Burton bought out his partner to become the sole owner in December 1838.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Burton's Gentleman's Magazine” as literary publication from Philadelphia, U.S., 1837–1840. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as literary publication from Philadelphia, U.S., 1837–1840. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2928637. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1837, 1840, 1839 and 1838.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Burton's Gentleman's Magazine”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Burton's Gentleman's Magazine primary sources, Burton's Gentleman's Magazine archive and Burton's research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Burton's Gentleman's Magazine”?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Burton's Gentleman's Magazine” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.