The Evening Critic (Washington, D.C.)
Historic newspapers carry the language, views and graphic reporting of their time, including racist content. They are shown to teen and adult profiles.
1,057 issues from 1881 to 1885, published in Washington, District Of Columbia, digitised for Chronicling America.
The Washington Critic first appeared on August 31, 1868, and was initially “devoted chiefly to the criticism of theatrical and music performances…” During its 28-year history, the paper expanded the breadth of its interests and coverage, becoming one of the largest circulating newspapers in Washington, D.C., during the 1880s. The Critic experienced a series of title and management changes over the course of its active years, publishing its final issue in 1896.
The first major change occurred in 1872, when it adopted the title the Daily Critic. By this time the paper’s contents had become more diversified, and the number of articles and advertisements had increased. In 1881, the paper acquired a new title, the Evening Critic, to reflect its new status as an evening paper. The publishers, now a co-operation called “The Evening Critic Publishing Company,” increased the price of the paper to two cents, explaining the changes as a necessary reaction to the “growth of the city in population, wealth and business.”
In the decade that followed, circulation more than doubled, growing from 5,000 in 1881 to 13,500 in 1889. In 1885, TheEvening Critic became theWashington Critic, to reflect the paper’s “local habitation.” The Critic remained “essentially a Washington paper—devoted to Washington affairs, freighted with Washington news, an exponent and advocate of Washington interests.”
In 1888 the Critic, along with theWashington Post, was bought by a wealthy investor, and the two…
- Genres
- News
- Published in
- Washington, District Of Columbia, United States
- Language
- English
- Collection
- Chronicling America
- Licence or status
- None stated by the archive
- Rights
- The Library of Congress believes that the newspapers in Chronicling America are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions. Newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety.
- Credit
- Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities
- Who can read it
- Teens profiles and older (placed by Invisible Network from what the archive says; archives give no ratings)
- Archive
- Library of Congress