The New-York Mirror (New York, NY)

The history (with the changing titles and formats) of the New-York Mirror is very complicated. It was originally founded in August 2, 1823 by George Pope Morris and Samuel Woodworth. (Some sources erroneously list Morris's last name as Scott.)

Even as a fairly large format periodical, the Mirror was issued with paper wrappers until 1843, and the New Mirror was also issued with wrappers. A statement in the Evening Mirror of October 10, 1844 (p. 2, col. 2) indicates that the Weekly Mirror was being issued without wrappers. The suggestion seems to be that it was thus issued from the start, and that the absence of covers seemed to meet with public approval. Being more of a newspaper format, the Evening Mirror was almost certainly never issued with wrappers.

Full Title: The New-York Mirror and Ladies's Literary Gazette   (1823-1831); The New York Mirror (1831-1842); The New Mirror of Literature, Amusement and Instruction (1843-1844); The Weekly Mirror (1848-1845); The New York Mirror (1845-1847); American Literary Gazette and Weekly Mirror   (1847-1857?); The Evening Mirror   (1844-1858?)

Issued: The New York Mirror: Vols. I-XX (August 2, 1823 - 1842); The New Mirror: Vols. I - III (April 8, 1843 - Sept. 28, 1844); The Evening Mirror: Vols: I -?  (October 7, 1844 - 1858?); The Weekly Mirror: Vols. I -? (October 12, 1844 - 1845 or 1847?) (Vol. III runs October 11, 1845-April 4, 1846)

Editor(s): George Pope Morris, Nathaniel Parker Willis, etc.

Publisher(s): G. P. Morris and N. P. Willis, etc. (1823-1842 issues are printed and published by Daniel Fanshaw.)

Location: New York, NY

Various sizes and formats. During the 1830s, it was a large format periodical, issued in green or blue printed wrappers. Copies in the wrappers are uncommon. As the New Mirror, it was a more typical magazine size, 8vo., and it was issued in plain printed tan wrappers.

Earlier issues of the New-York Mirror are relatively common, but the later forms, especially as the Evening Mirror, are scarce.

A set of the three volumes of the New Mirror has special interest. It was given by Poe to Sarah H. Whitman (probabably around october 1848), with two items marked “P.” These volumes, along with Poe's copy of The Broadway Journal, were given by Mrs. Whitman to John H. Ingram. They were sold as item 600 as part of the library of Thomas Jefferson McKee, on November 22-23, 1900. They are currently in the collections of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. (The two items marked by Poe are translations of “Souvenir of Youth” and “The Head of St. John the Baptist.”)