St. NICHOLAS MAGAZINE

   US magazine for boys and girls, published by Scribner, later by Century Co., then by American Education Press. Founded by Rosewell Smith and ed Mary Mapes Dodge 1873-1905, William Fayal Clarke 1905-27, and others. Assistant editors included Frank R. STOCKTON 1873-81 and Tudor Jenks 1887-1902. It appeared monthly Nov 1873-May 1930 as St. Nicholas, then as SNM from June 1930 until its demise in June 1943. The format was large square octavo, becoming quarto from 1926.SNM maintained a high literary standard and kept its circulation at 70,000 for many years. Numerous fantasy stories appeared within its pages, notably by Stockton, John Kendrick BANGS and Rudyard KIPLING, ranging in content from fairy-tales tosf such as Clement FEZANDIE's Through the Earth (1898; rev 1898) and Stockton's "The Tricycle of the Future" (May 1885). Aimed at a moreeducated and middle-class market than the dime novels (DIME-NOVEL SF), SNM was undoubtedly enjoyed by children to whom the FRANK READE LIBRARYwas out of reach (through parental veto), and thus has some bearing on the HISTORY OF SF.

   JE

   Further reading: Books in Black or Red (1924) by Edmund Lester Pearson.