Publisher, Editor. After the death of his merchant father, he was raised by an uncle. In his teen years, he was apprenticed to a cabinet-maker though he trained himself in law in his spare time. His first foray into publishing was as an editor for the Saturday Evening Post. Hoping to own his own periodical, he published two magazines in Philadelphia and combined them as Graham's Magazine; its first issue was published in December 1840. The monthly magazine collected literature, poetry, critical reviews, musical scores, fashion-plates, and illustrations. Graham actively sought out well-known authors as contributors; he soon became well-known for his generous payments. Writers for the magazine included William Cullen Bryant, James Fenimore Cooper, Fitz-Greene Halleck, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Editorial assistants included Edgar Allan Poe, Rufus Griswold, Edwin Percy Whipple, and Bayard Taylor. Graham's may have been the first American magazine to copyright each issue. It certainly became one of the highest-circulated magazines of the era. After some bad investments, however, Graham fell into financial ruin and sold off the magazine. By then, the magazine was already in decline. A later attempt by Graham to buy it back was unsuccessful in saving it and it finally folded in 1858. Graham himself fell into obscurity and was plagued by financial difficulties and health problems. He owned other journals and newspapers for short periods, none of which were as successful as Graham's. He moved to New Jersey and edited the Newark Journal but his financial troubles continued. At the age of 70, he lost his eyesight; it was only partially restored by surgery. His final five years were spent in Orange Memorial Hospital. For decades, his grave remained unmarked until the Friends of Laurel Hill placed a stone for him in 2010.
Publisher, Editor. After the death of his merchant father, he was raised by an uncle. In his teen years, he was apprenticed to a cabinet-maker though he trained himself in law in his spare time. His first foray into publishing was as an editor for the Saturday Evening Post. Hoping to own his own periodical, he published two magazines in Philadelphia and combined them as Graham's Magazine; its first issue was published in December 1840. The monthly magazine collected literature, poetry, critical reviews, musical scores, fashion-plates, and illustrations. Graham actively sought out well-known authors as contributors; he soon became well-known for his generous payments. Writers for the magazine included William Cullen Bryant, James Fenimore Cooper, Fitz-Greene Halleck, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Editorial assistants included Edgar Allan Poe, Rufus Griswold, Edwin Percy Whipple, and Bayard Taylor. Graham's may have been the first American magazine to copyright each issue. It certainly became one of the highest-circulated magazines of the era. After some bad investments, however, Graham fell into financial ruin and sold off the magazine. By then, the magazine was already in decline. A later attempt by Graham to buy it back was unsuccessful in saving it and it finally folded in 1858. Graham himself fell into obscurity and was plagued by financial difficulties and health problems. He owned other journals and newspapers for short periods, none of which were as successful as Graham's. He moved to New Jersey and edited the Newark Journal but his financial troubles continued. At the age of 70, he lost his eyesight; it was only partially restored by surgery. His final five years were spent in Orange Memorial Hospital. For decades, his grave remained unmarked until the Friends of Laurel Hill placed a stone for him in 2010.
Bio by: Midnightdreary
Advertisement
See more Graham memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
