Wide Awake

Published by D. Lothrop & Co./ D. Lothrop Co.

"Wide Awake" was a magazine established by D. Lothrop & Co for juveniles aged ten to eighteen. The first issue was published in July, 1875 and the editor was Miss Ella Farman. A number of other well known authors were contributors. This included Julia A. Eastman, George Macdonald, Mrs. Moulton, etc. The contents included short stories, serialized longer tales, poems, puzzles, illustrations and the like. Initially each monthly magazine cost 20 cents/ yearly subscription $2.00.

Correspondence from the editor, Ella Farman, to a contributor, Mary Lockwood.

Trade card for Wide Awake

The issues which ranged in size as the years of publication went on were bound into semiannual issues. Between October, 1881 and May, 1890 each issue included a Chautauqua Reading Union supplement. The Chautauqua movement was an educational / self improvement organization.

After its August, 1893 issue, this periodical merged into the monthly St. Nicholas magazine.

Bound issues of "Wide Awake" contained six issues either from July-December or January-June.
There are some entire year issues noted (beginning in 1883). These volumes were published in cloth or with chromolithographed boards covers.

The earliest semiannual books were entitled "Wide Awake Pleasure Books" and were given letters, i. e. A (for July-November, 1875). The "Wide Awake Pleasure Books" were the semiannual issues up to letter R in 1884. After 1884 the "Pleasure Books" had a mixture of items from previous "Wide Awake's" and other sources.

The Wide Awake books were re-issued in "fine editions" of volumes N and O. These books were titled "Wide Awake" not "Wide Awake Pleasure Books." P was also published in a “Wide Awake" title in 1883. After 1884 the semiannual books were only "Wide Awake's" The semiannual "Wide Awake" books ended in 1893 with number 37 or KK.

Of note is that books from FF to KK (1893) the books were only published in cloth.

Examples of the various books noted above are shown below.

Individual issues:

Pleasure books- Cloth

Pleasure books- Boards

Wide Awake- Cloth

Wide Awake- Boards