Overview
A summary of the history of the Lansdowne Young Men’s Christian Association (aka L.Y.M.C.A.) is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below).
According to the editorial in the first issue produced in November 1890, the idea to found a magazine was raised at a business meeting of the society held the month before. It was felt that a magazine would provide a ‘lasting benefit’ to the contributors (those young men and women from Landsdowne United Presbyterian Church) as well as its readers. In addition, it was to ‘be a means whereby the spark of social interest in one another’s affairs might be kept aglow & stimulated’ (John G. Miller and James Macfarlane [Editors], ‘To Our Readers’, Our Magazine (Lansdowne Young Men’s Christian Association), Part 1, November 1890, p. 1).
Including an issue solely devoted to its members’ artwork, there are seven issues of this society’s magazine. These are all individually hand stitched (which was not usual for these magazines), and are in kept in five hardcover, A5-sized binders with imprinted covers. The magazine began as a monthly, but by 1891, had become bi-monthly.
Each issue is roughly between 90 and 120 pages with between 20 and 25 contributions, these being a mixture of poetry and prose contributions, along with original artwork in various media as well as photographs. The authors and artists included members and non-members, men and women who mostly left their pieces anonymous, or they signed with pen-names or an initial or initials (presumably with the intention of being identifiable). Only a very small percentage of contributors used their first or full names.
The Art Supplement has 14 contributions that include pen-and-ink drawings, paintings in watercolours and in oil, as well as photographs, including a photo of the group members annotated underneath ‘Our Noble Selves’. Of note in the first issue (November 1890), there are photographs identified as being salt paper prints.
Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine
Lansdowne Young Men’s Christian Association (L.Y.M.C.A.)
Date of Existence
1890?-1892?
Date of Magazine
Part 1 (Nov. 1890); Part 2 (Dec. 1890); No. 3, Vol. I (25 Feb. 1891); No. 4, Vol. I (25 Apr. 1891); Part 1, Art Supplement to Our Magazine (Nov. 1891); No. II (Dec. 1891); Vol. II (Apr. 1892)
Number of Issues
7 (includes Art Supplement) (extant)
Manuscript/Published Magazine
Manuscript
Contents and Contributions
Art/Illustrations (original); Articles (non-fiction); Correspondence column; Essays; Fiction/Narratives; Letters to Editor; Poems (original); Photographs; Proverbs; Serial articles/stories; Sketches; Tables of Contents (located at the back of each issue); Title pages
Repository
Glasgow City Archives
Reference
TD864/2/1-7
Additional Notes
See also entry for Lansdowne Young Men’s Christian Association (aka L.Y.M.C.A.) on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds.