This is the advert for the very first issue of “The People’s Friend”, carried in what was then the local paper, the Dundee Advertiser, in 1869.
Our friends at Findmypast dug this out for us, via the British Newspaper Archive.
It’s a little hard to read, so here’s what it says:
NEW PENNY PUBLICATION
The People’s Friend
A MONTHLY MISCELLANY
OF SIXTEEN PAGES
IN CONNECTION WITH THE
PEOPLE’S JOURNAL
WILL CONTAIN
ORIGINAL TALES, POETRY, ESSAYS, ARTICLES ON DOMESTIC MANAGEMENT, GARDENING, SCIENTIFIC JOTTINGS, LITERARY EXTRACTS, AMUSING VARIETIES, NOTES TO CORRESPONDENTS &C
***
The First Number of “THE FRIEND” is Now Ready.
And subsequent Numbers will be published on
THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH
And still — 152 years on from the “first number” of our penny publication — we bring out a new issue of “The People’s Friend” every Wednesday.
There are perhaps fewer “scientific jottings” these days . . . but our readers can expect a lot more than sixteen pages, at least!
We’re very happy to still be doing so, especially in the current circumstances. Here’s to another 152 years!
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Iain McDonald I am the Digital Content Editor at the “Friend”, making me responsible for managing the flow of interesting and entertaining content on the magazine’s website and social media channels.
