Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion facts for kids

Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion was a popular magazine from the 1800s. It was filled with pictures and stories. The magazine was published in Boston, Massachusetts. It ran from 1851 to 1859.

A Look Back at Gleason's Pictorial

This magazine was started by Frederick Gleason in 1851. It quickly became known for its many illustrations. People loved seeing pictures of daily life, events, and famous places. The magazine was a bit like a newspaper and a storybook combined. It showed what was happening in the world through pictures.

Who Created the Magazine?

Frederick Gleason was the person who started Gleason's Pictorial. He launched it in 1851. A few years later, in 1855, another important person took over. This was Maturin Murray Ballou, who was the managing editor. He bought the magazine from Gleason. After this, the magazine's name changed. It became Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion.

What Was Inside the Magazine?

The Pictorial featured many talented artists and writers. They helped make the magazine interesting. One very famous artist who worked for the magazine was Winslow Homer. He later became a well-known American painter. The magazine also had stories and articles by many different authors. These included people like Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. and Joseph Holt Ingraham. They wrote exciting tales and interesting facts for readers.

The Magazine's Journey

In 1853, Gleason's Pictorial grew even bigger. It joined with another magazine called the Illustrated News from New York. This helped it reach even more readers. However, the magazine eventually stopped being published. Its final issue came out in 1859. Even though it's gone, it gives us a peek into what life was like in the 1800s.

Images for kids

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  Issue for 18 October 1851, showing Gleason's Publishing Hall, Tremont Street, Boston

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  Anti-Slavery meeting on the Boston Common (Gleason's, May 1851)

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  Grand display of firemen, Boston Common, 1851

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  Fourth of July festivities at Faneuil Hall, Boston, 1853

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  Gleason's, 1854

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  Boston Street Characters, by Winslow Homer (Ballou's, July 9, 1859)

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  Wood-engraving of Paul Morphy, after Winslow Homer (Ballou's, July 2, 1859)

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  Franklin College in Athens, GA, USA