The Sphere, 1900-1964 Coming Soon
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Established in 1900 and in circulation until 1964, The Sphere remained under the ownership of The Illustrated London News (ILN) for most of its existence. Clement Shorter – a former editor of the ILN – founded the publication and, from its first issue, it adopted a consciously international outlook, aiming to "hold pictures and thoughts from all lands". Upon its release, it was praised as "a striking advance in illustrated journalism" due to the beauty and artistry of its presentation, and it soon became highly popular. This collection includes nearly 160,000 images and almost 4,000 issues from The Sphere, published between January 1900 and June 1964.
The Sphere reflected a patriotic and staunchly pro-establishment position, and routinely expressed its support for both the British monarchy and empire. At the same time, with its global focus, the publication reported extensively on world events, such as the rise of communism; the First and Second World Wars; and the Arab-Israeli conflict. It printed articles discussing a wide range of prominent personalities from the arts, sciences, and politics – from John Ruskin to Albert Einstein, and from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Golda Meir – as well as contributions from well-known literary figures such as acclaimed children’s author A. A. Milne and prolific journalist Charles Graves. Consequently, this collection contains vital material for researchers and students of British society, military history, and the legacies of colonialism.
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Clement Shorter established The Sphere in 1900, after relinquishing his editorship at the ILN. In response, the proprietors of the ILN set up a rival publication called The Spear, choosing a similar title in the hope of detracting from Shorter’s new readership. Despite this, The Sphere proved widely popular, and Shorter went on to establish several of the ILN’s other "sister" publications, including The Tatler and The Sketch.
From its inception, The Sphere maintained a conservative and deeply patriotic worldview: in its first issue, in January 1900, the editors proudly declared that "The Sphere stands for England, the Mother of Parliaments, the Giver of Free Institutions to half the World…" Affirming its traditionalist leanings, the paper began to refer to itself explicitly as "The Empire’s Illustrated Weekly", in the 1920s.
The Sphere often adopted a hostile attitude towards working-class movements and, in the process, it reflected the profound inequalities prevalent in contemporary Britain. In its coverage of the National Hunger March in November 1932, the paper claimed that mounted police were "invaluable, as instruments both of control and attack". Notably, the same piece reported on Prince Arthur of Connaught’s attendance at a recent "oyster feast".
From the 1940s, The Sphere dedicated much of its attention to the evolution and deployment of military technology, with regular articles about weaponry, including planes, submarines, and warships. In addition, it printed detailed updates from the European, Pacific, and African fronts of the Second World War, keeping its readers informed about the latest developments in the Allied campaigns.
Covering nearly seven decades, from the turn of the twentieth century until the "Swinging Sixties", The Sphere renders highly useful material for those studying the development of British manufacturing and consumerism during this period, with adverts for a range of familiar brands, such as Rolls-Royce, Rowntree’s, and McVitie’s.
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