Oliver Optic's Magazine: Our Boys and Girls facts for kids
June 1870
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| Editor | William Taylor Adams ("Oliver Optic") |
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| Categories | Children's magazine |
| Frequency | Weekly (January 1867-1870) Monthly (1871-December 1875) |
| Circulation | 100,000 (in 1870) |
| Publisher | Lee & Shepard |
| First issue | January 5, 1867 |
| Final issue | December 1875 (as Oliver Optic's Magazine) |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Language | English |
Oliver Optic's Magazine: Our Boys and Girls (sometimes called Oliver Optic's Magazine) was a super popular American magazine for kids in the 1800s. It was edited by a famous writer named William Taylor Adams. He used a special writing name, or pen name, "Oliver Optic." The magazine started coming out every week. Later, it changed to once a month. It became the most popular children's magazine in the United States!
Contents
The Magazine's History
This magazine was published in Boston, Massachusetts. The company that printed it was called Lee & Shepard.
When It Started and Ended
The very first issue came out in January 1867. The magazine was published for nine years. It stopped being printed in December 1875.
How Much It Cost
A single copy of the magazine had 16 pages. It cost 6 cents, which was a fair amount back then. If you wanted to get the magazine all year, a subscription cost $2.50. In 1872, some old issues were reprinted. They were given a new name: Our Boys and Girls Mirror.
How Many Copies Were Printed
The magazine was really popular! By 1870, about 100,000 copies were printed for each issue. This number, called "circulation," shows how many people were reading it. It was a huge success for a children's magazine at that time.
What Was Inside the Magazine?
Oliver Optic's Magazine was packed with fun and educational stuff for young readers. It wasn't just stories; it had lots of activities too.
Fun Activities and Learning
Each issue had a variety of things to keep kids entertained and learning:
- Puzzles: Brain teasers and riddles to solve.
- Rebuses: These are puzzles where pictures and letters combine to make words or phrases.
- Declamation Exercises: These helped kids practice public speaking. They even came with pictures showing how to use hand gestures!
- Dialogues: Short plays or conversations that kids could read or act out.
Popular Stories and Characters
One of the most exciting parts of the magazine was the serial stories. These were long stories that were published in parts, one section in each new issue. This made readers eager to get the next magazine to find out what happened!
William Taylor Adams, as "Oliver Optic," wrote many of these stories himself. One very popular serial story was called Our Starry Flag. Readers loved it so much that Adams received at least 100 letters about it! Because kids enjoyed the characters so much, he felt he had to write another story with the same characters. He didn't want to "disappoint his young friends." This shows how much the magazine connected with its readers and how popular it truly was.
