Eliakim Littell

The Museumv.1, 1822

Eliakim Littell(2 January 1797 – 17 May 1870) was an American editor and publisher, the founder of a long-lived periodical namedLittell's Living Age(1844-1941).

Biography

Littell was born inBurlington, New Jersey.He moved toPhiladelphiain 1819, and established a weekly literary paper entitled theNational Recorder,whose name he changed in 1821 to theSaturday Magazine. In July 1822, he again changed it to a monthly called theMuseum of Foreign Literature and Science,which was edited during the first year byRobert Walsh,and subsequently by himself and his brother Squier (born inBurlington, New Jersey,9 December 1803; died inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania,4 July 1886). After conducting this with great success for nearly 22 years, he moved toBoston, Massachusetts.

In Boston in April 1844, he beganLittell's Living Age,a weekly literary periodical, published from an office at the corner of Bromfield and Tremont Streets.In 1855 he began the publication in Boston of thePanorama of Life and Literature,a monthly. Littell was the author of the “Compromise Tariff”which was advocated byHenry Clayand carried through theU.S. Congressduring the administration ofPresident Jackson.He died inBrookline, Massachusetts.

Family

His brother Squier Littell was aphysicianwho eventually became surgeon to the Wills Ophthalmic Hospital of Philadelphia 1834–1864. His brother John Stockton Littell (born in Burlington, New Jersey, in 1806; died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 11 July 1875) was an author who published a sketch of theLife, Character, and Services of Henry Clayand other pieces. Eliakim Littell's grandfather of the same name was a captain in theAmerican Revolution,and did good service in the defence ofSpringfield, New Jersey,4 June 1780. The brothers' cousin William Littell (born in New Jersey about 1780; died inFrankfort, Kentucky,in 1825) was a lawyer, a member of the Kentucky bar, who for many years reported the decisions of thecourt of appealsof Kentucky. In addition to his legal publications, he wroteFestoons of Fancy in Essays, Humorous, Sentimental, and Political, in Prose and Verse.

Works

• The Museum of Foreign Literature and Science.v.1(1822).
• Eclectic museum of foreign literature, science and art.v.2(1843).
• Living Age.v.60(1859);v.99(1868). Full run available online from Library of Congress,v.1-59, 61-227(1844-1900)

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Wilson, J. G.;Fiske, J.,eds. (1892)."Littell, Eliakim".Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography.New York: D. Appleton.

Images

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  Living Age office, Bromfield St., Boston, 1853
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  Littell's Living Age,1868