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Framed with back of page also displayed
Document 7 3/4 x 13 3/4 inches
Frame 20 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches
The Tatler, a British literary and society journal published in the early 18th century.
Key Information
Authorship and Persona: The paper was founded by Richard Steele who wrote under the pseudonym of Isaac Bickerstaff Esq. Joseph Addison also contributed a significant number of essays to the publication.
Issue Details: The sheet is issue Number 83 and was published "From Tuesday October 18. to Thursday October 20. 1709.".
Content: This specific issue contains an essay on Bickerstaff's observations of his readers' interpretations of his work in a coffee house, and two letters from female readers ("Maria" and another unnamed woman) expressing their affection for his writing and character, not his physical appearance.
Historical Context: The Tatler was published three times weekly and represented a new approach to journalism, mixing real gossip with invented stories to comment on contemporary manners and correct middle-class behavior. It established a pattern for later British classics like The Spectator.
