Rufus Porter distributed the first issue of his Scientific American with a prospectus touting the periodical as being for “those who delight in the development of those beauties of Nature, which consists in the laws of Mechanics, Chemistry, and other branches of Natural Philosophy.” He promised a paper that would instruct while it amused its reader. An eccentric character, Porter was an avid inventor who viewed scientific knowledge as a way of increasing one’s practical knowledge, and, subsequently, one’s social class. Scientific American published its first weekly issue on August 28, 1845, (the magazine went monthly in 1921) and established itself as the “advocate of industry and enterprise.”
Over the past 165 years of continuous publication, Scientific American has maintained its commitment to bringing the delights of scientific knowledge to its readers, keeping them informed about cutting-edge innovations and technologies.
In 1845 Scientific American magazine made its debut on newsstands and has continued to be published ever since. Now, Nature Publishing Group and Scientific American are working to digitize all past issues of the magazine. Mary Karmelek is in charge of checking over each issue, and in the process she uncovers fascinating, captivating and humorous material buried in the yellowed pages of our past. In this blog she shares the highlights of her discoveries. Additional archival material appears every month in our 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago column.
