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The Strand Magazine

ザ・ストランド・マガジン

Za Sutando Magajin

Profile

Gender
Unknown
Born
London (near Burleigh Street)
Died
London age 59
Nationality
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Residence History
London (Burleigh Street / the Strand area) → Birmingham, Michigan (base for the 1998 revival)

Career

Occupations
Monthly magazine, Periodical
Active Years
1891-1950
Influenced By
Contributing writers and illustrators (e.g. Arthur Conan Doyle, Sidney Paget), Contemporary mass-market publishing trends
Influenced
Popularisation of detective fiction and shaping of cultural images (notably Sherlock Holmes), Later short-story magazines and mystery periodicals (influence on format and illustration emphasis)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Sherlock Holmes short stories (serialized)

1891 Detective fiction, serialized

Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes short stories were serialized in the magazine and were central to its popularity. Sidney Paget's illustrations helped shape the popular image of Holmes.

DetectivesPuzzle-solvingDepictions of LondonCrime
Adaptations
  • [Film/TV] Various Sherlock Holmes adaptations

Puzzle column "Perplexities"

1910 Puzzles and recreational mathematics

A puzzle column by Henry Dudeney and others. It introduced new puzzle types such as the crossnumber and was popular with readers.

PuzzlesRecreational mathematics

Bibliography

  • The Strand Magazine (first issue: Jan 1891) – ceased: Mar 1950
  • U.S. edition of The Strand (Feb 1891–Feb 1916)
  • Revival from 1998 (quarterly, based in Birmingham, Michigan, US)

Adaptations

  • Numerous film, television and stage adaptations of works first or prominently published in the magazine

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Mass-market, readable short fiction focusIllustration-heavy layout
Recurring Motifs
Detectives and mystery-solvingDepictions of LondonPuzzles and playful elements

Legacy

The Strand Magazine launched and popularised numerous short stories, notably Sherlock Holmes, and as a leading mass-market fiction periodical of the early 20th century it greatly influenced the spread and cultural image of detective fiction. Early issues are important archival resources and the title was revived in the U.S. in 1998.

Museums

  • The British Library (holds archival material) London, UK
  • Internet Archive (online archive) Online

Academic Societies

  • Victorian Periodicals Review (scholarly field/journal)

Archives

  • Scans of the first 384 issues (1891–1922) at Internet Archive
  • Serial archives such as University of Pennsylvania holdings

In Popular Culture

  • Sidney Paget's illustrations in the magazine shaped the popular image of Sherlock Holmes and influenced subsequent films and television.
  • The puzzle column "Perplexities" contributed to the history of recreational mathematics and crossnumber puzzles.

Quotes

  • The Strand Magazine popularised Sherlock Holmes and was instrumental in establishing the popularity of detective fiction.
    Source: The Strand Magazine - Wikipedia (summary) (1891)

Trivia

  • Initial price was sixpence and early sales reached nearly 300,000 copies.
  • At its peak circulation stabilized around 500,000 copies per month.
  • A U.S. edition was published from Feb 1891 to Feb 1916.
  • The title was revived as a quarterly in the U.S. in 1998.