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George Wilkes (1817 – September 23, 1885) was an American journalist and newspaper editor. A native of New York State, he became a journalist and after losing a libel case was imprisoned in New York City's jail; he wrote a pamphlet on the jail's conditions in 1844 based on his stay. The following year, Wilkes and a friend started publishing
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George Wilkes (1817 – September 23, 1885) was an American journalist and newspaper editor. A native of New York State, he became a journalist and after losing a libel case was imprisoned in New York City's jail; he wrote a pamphlet on the jail's conditions in 1844 based on his stay. The following year, Wilkes and a friend started publishing the National Police Gazette, a newspaper on crime reporting and other sensationalistic topics. In 1856 Wilkes bought a sporting newspaper called the Spirit of the Times, which he had previously worked for.
After selling the Gazette, he published and edited the Spirit until his death in 1885. Wilkes also wrote a couple of books on non-sporting topics, and introduced pari-mutuel betting to the United States.
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Under publisher Richard K. Fox beginning in 1877, it became the forerunner of the men's lifestyle magazine, the illustrated sports...
/ Under publisher Richard K. Fox beginning in 1877, it became the forerunner of the men's lifestyle magazine, the illustrated sports weekly, the girlie/pin-up magazine, the celebrity gossip column, Guinness World Records-style competitions, and modern tabloid/sensational journalism.
In its heyday it was immensely influential. In the first part of the 20th century, the United States became the centre for professional boxing. It was generally accepted that the "world champions" were those listed by the Police Gazette.
During the Great Depression in 1932, the Police Gazette ceased publication, and was sold at auction. In 1933 it was revived and appeared twice a month, taking on more of the flavor of a girlie magazine, continuing for many decades. The tabloid finally ceased print publication in 1977.
In October of 1856, it was announced "due to some peculiar circumstances", that William T. Porter would surrender ownership of...
/ In October of 1856, it was announced "due to some peculiar circumstances", that William T. Porter would surrender ownership of the original Spirit of the Times to John Richards, and branch off to start a new publication with George Wilkes, called "Porter's Spirit of the Times". When Porter died in 1858, his share in the second Spirit fell into the hands of a New York lawyer.
Wilkes didn't get along with his new partner, so in September 1859 he established his own journal, Wilkes' Spirit of the Times. For a short time there were three Spirits being published simultaneously, but Porter's Spirit went out of business soon after. The original Spirit had a large portion of its subscribers in the South, so the Civil War sealed its fate, leaving Wilkes as the sole survivor after June 1861.
"With the impact of industrialization, millions of Europeans emigrated to the United States, bringing with them their games. Any account...
/ "With the impact of industrialization, millions of Europeans emigrated to the United States, bringing with them their games. Any account of this changing outlook throughout the last century would be far from complete were it not to emphasize the indispensable role played by magazine and newspaper editors who championed the cause of sport."
American Quarterly is an academic journal and the official publication of the American Studies Association. The journal covers topics of both domestic and international concern in the United States and is considered a leading resource in the field of American studies. The journal is published quarterly by the Johns Hopkins University Press. It has been promoting digital research and teaching.