Tucked away in the Galvin Rare Book Room is an unassuming book called “The Literary Souvenir, A Christmas and New Year’s Present.” [Galvin Rare Book Room PN6153.B8 1840] It is edited by William E. Burton who was an English actor, playwright, theater manager, and publisher, who relocated to the United States.
William E. Burton
Mr. Burton intended to study for the ministry, but his father’s death called him home to take over his father’s printing business. His attempt to establish a monthly magazine failed, but gained him contacts in the theater, and set his sights there.
He intended to be a great tragedian since he was of a darker, more saturnine nature. But on stage he was one of the funniest people of his time. He gained some fame as an actor and also as a writer, one of his plays actually playing in five different theaters at the same time.
At the age of 30 (1834) with a failed marriage behind him he decided to relocate to the United States where he continued to act and manage theaters in New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore. He established The Gentlemen’s Magazine in 1837, of which Edgar Allan Poe was the editor for some time. Though Burton disliked Poe’s harsh style of criticism, he gave him more and more responsibility. Nonetheless, the two quarreled and called each other names until Poe left the magazine.
Sometime in 1840, Mr. Burton published this Literary Souvenir with his own stories, and the
A Literary Souvenir.
works of others. It doesn’t have a Christmas or New Year’s story in it, but it is lavishly illustrated and bound with pages edged in gold. And on the flyleaf is an inscription which
Presented to Miss Catrine Williams as a New Years gift by a friend for A. D. 1840.
Richmond 1st January.