71-556: American News Company ( ANC ) was a magazine, newspaper, book, and comic book distribution company founded in 1864 by Sinclair Tousey, which dominated the distribution market in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The company's abrupt 1957 demise caused a huge shakeup in the publishing industry, forcing many magazine, comic book, and paperback publishers out of business. The magazine and book operations of A360media have been reorganized and chartered as American News Company LLC. but has no connection to
142-633: A day for exclusive rights. Under this system, Union News could keep the Chicago Tribune out of the Chicago area train stations until the Tribune agreed to their terms. In 1958, the FTC found that Union News was operating nearly a thousand newsstands around the country (the next largest operator had 57), putting Union News in a position to dictate terms and demand rebates from publishers. Typically, in
213-505: A decision to shift the headquarters of the National Enquirer from Florida, where it had been located since 1971, back to New York City, where it originally began as The New York Enquirer in 1926. In August 2014, American Media was acquired by Chatham Asset Management and Omega Charitable Partnership . In 2015, American Media sold Shape , Natural Health , and Fit Pregnancy to Meredith . In 2016, Pecker revealed to
284-487: A large profit from liquidating the company. He acquired control, and proceeded to sell off the assets, ultimately winding the company up. This theory was summarized in a 1960 lawsuit: In 1955 the defendant Henry Garfinkle and the members of his family acquired 11 per cent of the stock in the defendant American News Company. Soon thereafter he became its president. ... The defendant American News Company, notwithstanding its great size and notwithstanding its apparent dominance in
355-434: A lie detector test when testifying that he had heard the story from others. Shortly after the payment was made, Pecker ordered the reporters to drop the story. In April 2018, AMI chief content officer Dylan Howard denied the story was "spiked" in a so-called " catch and kill " operation, insisting that AMI did not run the story because Sajudin's story lacked credibility. On August 24, 2018, after AMI had released Sajudin from
426-533: A serious blow to ANC at a time when the company was already on financially shaky ground. In April Dell Publishing announced that they were pulling out and making other arrangements for their distribution. The mammoth company's abrupt demise in June 1957 has been a source of speculation for decades. One theory is that a speculator became aware that a bookkeeping peculiarity in American News' accounts could allow
497-419: A steeper discount, similar to today's " direct sale " comic book market. American News's monopoly position in the market was virtually unchallenged until Frank Munsey , frustrated by ANC's refusal to handle his cheap 10 cent pulp magazines, was forced to set up his own distribution, Red Star News. This was the first of the so-called ID or independent distributors. Munsey balked when ANC informed him that 4 cents
568-403: A strong advertising base, and many magazines folded as a result. An example of a company that the change in distributor had a drastic impact on is Atlas Comics , which was forced to switch distribution to Independent News , owned by National Comics Publications , owner of Atlas' rival, DC Comics . Because of this, Atlas was constrained as to its publishing output for the next decade (including
639-488: A ten-month affair with Donald Trump —which she claimed happened in 2006–2007, when he was already married to Melania —but AMI never published the story. AMI publicly acknowledged having made the payment after The Wall Street Journal revealed it days before the 2016 presidential election, but AMI denied that its purpose had been to "kill damaging stories about " Trump; instead, AMI claimed it had paid only for "exclusive life rights to any relationship [McDougal] has had with
710-579: A then-married man" and "two years' worth of her fitness columns and magazine covers." In March 2018, McDougal filed a lawsuit to invalidate the non-disclosure agreement she had with AMI. A month later, AMI settled with McDougal, allowing her to speak about the alleged affair. In August 2018, it was reported that AMI CEO/chairman David Pecker and AMI chief content officer Dylan Howard were granted witness immunity in exchange for their testimony regarding hush money payments made by Donald Trump's then-personal lawyer, Michael Cohen , in an attempt to influence
781-547: A trace in the suburban growth of the 1950s. The effect on the American magazine market was catastrophic. Many magazines had to switch to one of the independent distributors, who were able to set their own conditions for taking on new business. This often forced the magazines to change from a digest size to a larger format, and to become monthly rather than bimonthly or quarterly. Many magazines could not afford to make these changes, both of which required either high circulation or
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#1732772964651852-499: A wholesale distribution company it also owned. As part of the merger, AMI was officially renamed A360 on October 1. In February 2023, A360media agreed to sell the National Enquirer to VVIP Ventures, a joint venture of the digital media company Vinco Ventures and a new company set up for the purchase, Icon Publishing. As of July 7th, 2023 the deal has collapsed as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The modern American Media came into being after Generoso Pope Jr. , longtime owner of
923-472: Is important is the cover of a magazine.” In late 2015, AMI paid $ 30,000 to Dino Sajudin, a doorman at Trump Tower , to obtain the rights to his story in which he alleged Donald Trump had an affair in the 1980s that resulted in the birth of a child. Sajudin in April 2018 identified the woman as Trump's former housekeeper. AMI reporters were given the names of the woman and the alleged child, while Sajudin passed
994-532: Is not to be confused with American Media Distribution, the international news coverage firm. American Media's former corporate headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida , figured prominently in news headlines in late 2001, after an anthrax attack was perpetrated on the company and other media outlets. Since then the corporate headquarters have moved to New York City at 1 Park Avenue in Manhattan , before moving to
1065-470: Is true to a certain extent, the latter unlikely. Readers may have missed Nast's cartoons, but Harper's Weekly remained influential." On January 14, 1893, Harper's Weekly became the first American magazine to publish a Sherlock Holmes story, " The Adventure of the Cardboard Box ". After 1900, Harper's Weekly devoted more print to political and social issues, and featured articles by some of
1136-670: The National Enquirer , died in 1988, and his tabloids came under new ownership. American tabloids began consolidating in 1990, when American Media bought Star from Rupert Murdoch. The purchase of Globe Communications (owner of the Globe and the National Examiner ) followed nine years later. Roger Altman , through Evercore Partners , bought a controlling stake in American Media in 1999. American Media
1207-595: The 1860 U.S. presidential campaign , the magazine supported Stephen A. Douglas in his campaign against Abraham Lincoln . But as the American Civil War broke out, the magazine fully supported Lincoln and the Union . A July 1863 article in The Weekly on the escaped slave Gordon included an illustration taken from a photograph of his back, severely scarred from whippings. The image provided many readers in
1278-582: The American Civil War , including many illustrations of events from the war. During its most influential period, it was the forum of the political cartoonist Thomas Nast . Along with his brothers James, John, and Wesley, Fletcher Harper began the publishing company Harper & Brothers in 1825. Following the successful example of The Illustrated London News , Harper started publishing Harper's Magazine in 1850. The monthly publication featured established authors such as Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray , and within several years, demand for
1349-693: The Financial District to the former JP Morgan Chase headquarters at 4 New York Plaza . That building was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy but reopened in February 2013. AMI continued to expand after it bought Joe Weider 's Weider Publications in 2002. Joe Weider continued to manage control of his magazines under AMI's Weider Publications subsidiary until his death in March 2013. American Media also owns Distribution Services, an in-store magazine merchandising company. In fall 2002, it launched
1420-440: The National Enquirer engaged in a practice of checkbook journalism which involved paying sources for stories, and that he "gave a number to the editors that they could not spend more than $ 10,000" and he had final say over celebrity stories. He also acknowledged that "checkbook journalism" served as part of the editorial philosophy he followed when ran American Media Inc. Pecker stated that he believed that “The only thing that
1491-540: The National Enquirer was reported to be up for sale and likely to be sold within days. The company stated that it had shifted its emphasis away from tabloids to its "glossy" magazines such as Us Weekly and Men's Journal . This came following pressure from Chatham owner Anthony Melchiorre, who expressed disapproval of the Enquirer's style of journalism. On April 18, 2019, AMI accepted an offer from Hudson News Distributors head James Cohen and agreed to sell not only
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#17327729646511562-497: The National Enquirer , but also Globe and The Examiner to Hudson News Distributors for $ 100 million. At the time the sales were announced, AMI was approximately $ 355 million in debt. In 2022, A360 acquired single issue magazine publisher Centennial Media. Also in 2022, A360 sold Men's Journal and the Adventure Sports Network properties to The Arena Group. On April 22, 2024, Pecker acknowledged that
1633-595: The National Enquirer . This came after Chatham owner Anthony Melchiorre, who AMI has also relied on for survival, expressed dismay over the tabloid magazine's recent scandals involving hush money assistance to U.S. president Donald Trump 's 2016 campaign and blackmail of Jeff Bezos . On April 18, 2019, AMI agreed to sell not only the National Enquirer , but two of its other publications, Globe and National Examiner , to Hudson News Distributors . In August 2020, Chatham Asset Management, AMI's owning holding company, announced it would merge AMI with Accelerate 360,
1704-505: The National Enquirer. President Trump has long expressed displeasure with Bezos, and Trump's irritation may have increased due to the Washington Post's critical coverage of the murder (and the subsequent cover-up ) of one of its reporters, Jamal Khashoggi . This, Bezos suspects, may have been the political motivation for someone to leak his affair to the tabloid. On February 7, 2019, Bezos shared emails that he had received
1775-788: The North their first visual evidence of slavery's brutality. The image and story inspired many free blacks in the North to enlist in the Union Army . Many of the most important articles and illustrations in Harper's were related to the American Civil War. Besides illustrations by Homer and Nast, the magazine published illustrations by Theodore R. Davis , Henry Mosler , and the brothers Alfred and William Waud . Beginning in 1863 until his death in 1892, George William Curtis , one of
1846-529: The Radical Republican position on Reconstruction. In the 1870s, the cartoonist Thomas Nast began an aggressive campaign in the journal against the corrupt New York political leader William "Boss" Tweed . Nast turned down a $ 500,000 bribe to end his attack. Tweed was arrested in 1873 and convicted of fraud. Nast and Harper's also played an important part in securing Rutherford B. Hayes ' 1876 presidential election. Later on Hayes remarked that Nast
1917-549: The $ 150,000 campaign finance violation—the facilitation of the payment to McDougal—to which he pled guilty on August 21, 2018. AMI agreed to pay the Federal Election Commission a $ 187,500 fine in June 2021. In April 2024, Pecker testified how he, Howard and Cohen conspired to get the National Enquirer to acquire McDougal's story. Pecker stated that after Howard found out about McDougal's allegation, he sent Howard to California to interview her. During
1988-424: The 2016 presidential election. On December 12, 2018, the U.S. Attorney's office announced its agreement with AMI. "AMI admitted that it made the $ 150,000 payment in concert with a candidate's presidential campaign," the press release said, so that Karen McDougal wouldn't "publicize damaging allegations about the candidate before the 2016 presidential election. AMI further admitted that its principal purpose in making
2059-519: The ANC distribution system. In New York City alone (at that time consisting solely of Manhattan and the Bronx) 125 wagons and drivers crisscrossed the city every day making deliveries, with 14 local neighborhood substations. ANC employed directly in 1893 1,154 people, with a weekly payroll of $ 16,255; with $ 1 million in real estate holdings and $ 1.4 million in merchandise on hand. It extended extensive credit to
2130-489: The ANC monopoly; nonetheless ANC remained by far the dominant firm up until its collapse. American News functioned both as a national distributor and as a local periodical wholesaler. After World War II, headed by Henry Garfinkle, the company had over 300 branches blanketing the United States, and employed several thousand employees. During the middle of the century, American News stood as the largest book wholesaler in
2201-623: The Chicago branch was the Great Western News Company, founded in 1866. The International News Company, on Duane Street in New York, was the branch handling the company's extensive overseas business. A branch called the Union News Company existed solely to sell newspapers and magazines on the railroads, with 300 newsstands in railroad stations which by 1893 covered 40% of the entire US railroad system, paying $ 1000
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2272-538: The East Coast, and by the time ANC was organized the wholesale side of the business had grown too large for Williams to handle alone. Along with two smaller competing firms, Dyer & Co. and Federhen & Co., the Boston trade was reorganized as a subsidiary of American News under the name New England News Company, with Williams as one of the principal shareholders. Initially an officer of the new corporation, Williams
2343-469: The Grant administration. Harper's publisher Fletcher Harper strongly supported Nast in his disputes with Curtis. In 1877, Harper died, and his nephews, Joseph W. Harper Jr. and John Henry Harper, assumed control of the magazine. They were more sympathetic to Curtis' arguments for rejecting cartoons that contradicted his editorial positions. In 1884, however, Curtis and Nast agreed that they could not support
2414-532: The Republican candidate James G. Blaine , whose association with corruption was anathema to them. Instead they supported the Democratic candidate, Grover Cleveland . Nast's cartoons helped Cleveland become the first Democrat to be elected president since 1856. In the words of the artist's grandson, Thomas Nast St Hill, "it was generally conceded that Nast's support won Cleveland the small margin by which he
2485-801: The Toronto Star that AMI now relied on support from Chatham Asset Management and its owner Anthony Melchiorre. The $ 4 billion hedge fund owns 80 percent of AMI's stock. In March 2017, American Media acquired Us Weekly from Wenner Media for a reported $ 100 million. Three months later, in June 2017, American Media also acquired Men's Journal from Wenner Media. In June 2018, American Media acquired 13 brands from Bauer Media Group including In Touch Weekly , Life & Style and Closer to add to their celebrity portfolio. They also acquired Bauer Media's kids group including J-14 and Girl's World . In February 2019, American Media acquired TEN 's adventure sports properties. In April 2019,
2556-487: The West, with the commencement of coast-to-coast continental rail service in 1869. Legislation passed by Congress required the railroads to transport newspapers and periodicals as second class bulk mail at a special low subsidized rate—one cent per pound for any distance between news agencies, so that a bundle of New York newspapers could be sent across the continent to Los Angeles for the same price that it could be shipped across
2627-516: The book-publishing imprint , AMI Books. In 2009, American Media was taken over by its bondholders to keep it out of bankruptcy. In November 2010, American Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to nearly $ 1 billion in debt, and assets of less than $ 50,000. Its subsidiary, American Media Operations Inc., listed assets of $ 100 to $ 500 million and debt of over $ 1 billion. It exited in December. In May 2014, American Media announced
2698-540: The child was a girl. A National Enquirer editor who discovered the allegation originally did not know Sajudin's name, but just as a doorman who had worked at Trump. Cohen was the one who discovered the names of the doorman and the alleged maid. Though Cohen at first claimed the story was not true, the National Enquirer acquired the story for $ 30,000, which was noticeably higher than the usual $ 10,000 they paid for stories. In 2016, AMI paid Playboy model Karen McDougal $ 150,000 for exclusive rights to her allegations of
2769-468: The contract, CNN obtained a copy of it and published excerpts. The contract instructed Sajudin to provide "information regarding Donald Trump's illegitimate child," but did not contain further specifics of Sajudin's story. In April 2024, Pecker testified in Trump's New York criminal trial how the story was his first "catch-and-kill" target during Trump's campaign, with Sajudin also attempting to claim that
2840-468: The defunct American News Company which folded in 1957. The American News Company had its roots in two New York City newspaper and periodical wholesaling firms: Sinclair Tousey's company on Nassau St., and the firm Dexter, Hamilton & Co. at 22 Ann St. These were the two largest news and periodical wholesalers in New York City at the time of their merger on Feb. 1, 1864, when American News Company
2911-579: The early years of its successor, Marvel Comics ). A360media A360 Media, LLC (branded a360media ), formerly American Media, Inc. ( AMI ), is an American publisher of magazines, supermarket tabloids , and books based in New York City. Originally affiliated with only the National Enquirer , the media company's holdings expanded considerably in the 1990s and 2000s. In November 2010, American Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to debts of nearly $ 1 billion, but has continued to buy and sell magazine brands since then. AMI has been in
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2982-410: The equipment used in connection with its distribution activities. By June 1957, it was entirely out of business as a national distributor and as a local wholesaler. An alternative (but somewhat similar explanation) for the company's demise has been offered by comic book historian and author Gerard Jones . The company in 1956... had been found guilty of restraint of trade and ordered to divest itself of
3053-462: The figure, who was popularized as part of Christmas customs in the late nineteenth century. Harper's Weekly was the most widely read journal in the United States during the American Civil War era of the mid-19th century. Harper's took a moderate editorial position on the issue of slavery prior to the Civil War's outbreak in 1861, earning it the label "Harper's Weakly" by critics. During
3124-710: The firms it did business with and $ 800,000 was due at any given time in accounts receivable from dealers around the country. It owned outright 18 buildings around the country and rented 39 more, and had $ 200,000 invested in horses and wagons. The branches of the company at this time were located in Albany, Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Montreal, Newark, New Orleans, Omaha, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, San Francisco, Springfield (Mass.), St. Louis, St. Paul, Toronto, Troy, and Washington D.C. These branches were organized as subsidiaries under different names, for example
3195-479: The founders of the Republican Party , served as the magazine's political editor. His editorials advocated civil service reform, low tariffs , and adherence to the gold standard . After the end of the Civil War, Harper's Weekly more openly supported the Republican Party in its editorial positions, and supported the presidential candidacy of Ulysses S. Grant in 1868 and again in 1872. It supported
3266-502: The magazine was great enough to sustain a weekly edition. In 1857, his company began publishing Harper's Weekly in New York City. By 1860, the circulation of the Weekly had reached 200,000. Illustrations were an important part of the Weekly' s content, and it developed a reputation for using some of the most renowned illustrators of the time, notably Winslow Homer , Granville Perkins , Porte Crayon , and Livingston Hopkins . Among
3337-408: The matter, quoting a former federal prosecutor who speculated that this news could undermine AMI's recent deal with the government. If prosecutors decide they must file new criminal charges against AMI, the government may not be able "to continue to use them [AMI] to assist other ongoing investigations," said Robert Mintz. Lauren Sanchez's brother, Michael Sanchez, an ardent Trump supporter, stated he
3408-475: The more prominent political figures of the time, such as Theodore Roosevelt . Harper's editor George Harvey was an early supporter of Woodrow Wilson 's candidacy, proposing him for the Presidency at a Lotos Club dinner in 1906. After that dinner, Harvey would make sure that he "emblazoned each issue of Harper's Weekly with the words 'For President—Woodrow Wilson ' ". Roderic C. Penfield served as
3479-761: The news affiliated with accusations of catch and kill operations. On December 12, 2018, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported that AMI admitted to paying $ 150,000 to Karen McDougal in concert with Donald Trump 's presidential campaign for the sole purpose of preventing damaging allegations prior to the 2016 US presidential election . According to its September 2018 non-prosecution agreement with Southern District of New York federal prosecutors, AMI "shall commit no crimes whatsoever" for three years, otherwise "A.M.I. shall thereafter be subject to prosecution for any federal criminal violation of which this office has knowledge." On April 10, 2019, Chatham Asset Management, which controls 80 percent of AMI's stock, forced AMI to sell
3550-460: The newsstands it owned. Its biggest client, George T. Delacorte Jr. , announced he would seek a new distributor for his Dell comics and paperbacks. The owners of American News estimated the effect that would have on their income. Then they looked at the value of the New Jersey real estate where their headquarters sat. They liquidated the company and sold the land. The company ... vanished without
3621-417: The payment was to suppress the woman's story so as to prevent it from influencing the election." As a result of this agreement, AMI did not face prosecution and agreed to provide extensive assistance to prosecutors about the involvement of Trump and other politicians with the company. The same press release also revealed that Michael Cohen had been sentenced to three years in prison for various crimes, including
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#17327729646513692-422: The periodical distribution field, commencing in the fifties began to encounter difficulties. It lost franchise after franchise and began sustaining heavy losses. By 1957 it had sustained losses in connection with its distribution of periodicals in excess of $ 8,000,000.00. In 1957 it decided to cease its activities as a national distributor and local wholesaler. It laid off around 8,000 of its employees and sold all of
3763-413: The post-Civil War era, ANC in its position as the middleman between publishers and newsstand dealers would allow the newsstand dealers to keep between 5 and 10 cents on the sale of a 35-cent magazine like the monthly Harper's , and three cents on a 10-cent magazine like Harper's Weekly . Unsold copies of most titles were fully returnable, although some titles were sold to the dealers as non-returnable at
3834-915: The previous day in which AMI sought a public statement from him and his lawyer "affirming that they have no knowledge or basis for suggesting that AM's coverage [of the sexual affair] was politically motivated or influenced by political forces, and an agreement that they will cease referring to such a possibility." AMI chief content officer Dylan Howard and his lawyer Jon Fine threatened Bezos, saying that if Bezos did not promptly meet their demands, AMI would publish selfies and sexts sent between Bezos and his girlfriend. Bezos wrote that he would refuse to make this "specific lie" or to otherwise participate in this blackmail bargain that "no real journalists [would] ever propose." "Of course I don't want personal photos published," Bezos added, but he said he chooses to "stand up, roll this log over, and see what crawls out." That same day, The Washington Post published an article on
3905-424: The recurring features were the political cartoons of Thomas Nast , who was recruited in 1862 and worked with the Weekly for more than 20 years. Nast was a feared caricaturist, and is often called the father of American political cartooning. He was the first to use an elephant as the symbol of the Republican Party . He also drew the legendary character of Santa Claus ; his version became strongly associated with
3976-463: The river to Newark—and ANC exploited the availability of cheap rail transport to expand their distribution network across the continent, so far ahead of the competition that they effectively shut any possible rivals out of the market, establishing their periodical depots by the hundreds in every city and large town on the rail system. At the same time, the number of periodicals being published in America
4047-418: The smaller organizations until it now embraces thirty-two powerful news companies, with an annual operating expense of $ 2,488,000 and an annual business of something like $ 18,000,000. This organization handles the bulk of the reading matter of the United States and supplies nearly nineteen thousand dealers." On any given day, a hundred new issues of the thousands of titles ANC handled would typically be fed into
4118-414: The time Howard met with McDougal, he conversed with Cohen about the situation. Ultimately, McDougal agreed to sell her story to the National Enquirer for $ 150,000. In January 2019, the National Enquirer broke a story about the extramarital affair of Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos with Lauren Sánchez . Bezos began investigating how and why the information had been leaked to
4189-639: The world, dominating the industry. It also had a near stranglehold on the distribution of magazines and newspapers within the United States market, dominating that industry as well. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange , it had more than 5400 stockholders. Headquartered in New Jersey , American News also had offices in downtown Manhattan. Comic book clients of American News included Atlas Comics , Dell Comics , and Toby Press . National Comics had its own distributor, Independent News and
4260-491: Was "the most powerful, single-handed aid [he] had". After the election, Nast's role in the magazine diminished considerably. Since the late 1860s, Nast and George W. Curtis had frequently differed on political matters and particularly on the role of cartoons in political discourse. Curtis believed that mockery by caricature should be reserved for Democrats, and did not approve of Nast's cartoons assailing Republicans such as Carl Schurz and Charles Sumner , who opposed policies of
4331-422: Was a bookstore proprietor at heart and left soon afterward in 1869 to take over the famous " Old Corner Bookstore ". Two years after the company formed it added to its newspaper and magazine business a book jobbing department, under the supervision of a Mr. Dunham; this grew to be one of the largest in the country. With the end of the Civil War, the firm grew rapidly along the expanding railroads as they opened up
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#17327729646514402-506: Was able to take on distribution for other comic book publishers after American News failed. Comic book publishers who were not able to come to terms with National's distributors quickly went under, and others were limited in the number of titles they were allowed to distribute under the new arrangements—Atlas (later known as Marvel Comics) was rationed to eight titles a month. The change also affected paperback book publishers like Lion Library, which went out of business when Independent News (which
4473-418: Was already distributing rival New American Library) refused to take it on. Avon paperbacks, which had been founded as a subsidiary of ANC in 1941 in the early days of the paperback boom, managed to survive the crash and was taken over by Hearst. Many magazines distributed in the 1940s were in pulp format; by the end of 1955, nearly all had either ceased publication or switched to digest format. This change
4544-408: Was elected. In his last national political campaign, Nast had, in fact, 'made a president. ' " Nast's final contribution to Harper's Weekly was his Christmas illustration in December 1886. Journalist Henry Watterson said that "in quitting Harper's Weekly , Nast lost his forum: in losing him, Harper's Weekly lost its political importance." Nast's biographer Fiona Deans Halloran says "the former
4615-696: Was exploding: Frank Mott , in A History of American Magazines , estimates that the number of titles being published boomed from 700 at the end of the Civil War to 3300 in 1885. In 1893, an article in The American Newsman summed up the company's success: "It is as the keeper of a thousand secrets involving the fortunes of publishers and authors that the American News Company surrounds its vast and intricate system with an atmosphere of mystery, so that few persons have any idea of its really astounding proportions. It has gradually absorbed
4686-555: Was formed by taking over the wholesale periodical business of Boston bookseller Alexander Williams. In 1854, Williams had bought out the business of Fetridge & Co. , which operated on the corner of State St. and Washington a large magazine store known as the Periodical Depot or the Periodical Arcade. Williams worked up an extensive trade as a jobber of newspapers and periodicals to out of town dealers all over
4757-456: Was formed. The seven original partners were Sinclair Tousey, John E. Tousey, Harry Dexter, George Dexter, John Hamilton, Patrick Farrelly, and Solomon W. Johnson. These partners formed the core of the company's management until the death of the last surviving partner, Solomon Johnson, in 1913. Sinclair Tousey was the company's first president, followed after his death by Harry Dexter, who was succeeded by Solomon Johnson. The company's Boston branch
4828-446: Was largely the work of the refusal of American News and other distributors to carry the pulp magazines since they were no longer profitable. The 1950s boom in science fiction magazine publishing, with 30 new titles being launched, turned overnight into collapse with the failure of ANC. Other pulp fiction genres—western, romance, detective—suffered a similar extinction event. These sections of the magazine field were already in decline and it
4899-511: Was simply not worth the effort to rescue already marginal magazine titles. In 1952, the government began antitrust litigation against ANC which was destined to drag on until the company's demise. Around 1955 major magazine publishers began disengaging themselves from ANC and making other arrangements for newsstand distribution. When Collier's and Woman's Home Companion , two of their biggest-selling titles, folded in January 1957, it came as
4970-415: Was the most they would pay wholesale for a magazine that sold for 10 cents retail, and Munsey retaliated by cutting out the middleman and setting up his own distributor to sell directly to newsdealers for 7 cents a copy. Munsey was followed in time by Hearst , Fawcett , Curtis , Annenberg and Donenfeld , all constrained by various factors into setting up their own independent distribution networks outside
5041-710: Was told by multiple AMI employees that the Enquirer set out to do "a takedown to make Trump happy" and The Daily Beast reported seeing documents showing that Sanchez believed the Bezos story was run with "President Trump's knowledge and appreciation." Harper%27s Weekly Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization was an American political magazine based in New York City . Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, alongside illustrations. It carried extensive coverage of
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