Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York

Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York

Founding of the Society

Year Authority / Notes

1814 According to Harris (1972), p.331, the Society was founded on 1814, January 13. Harris (1972), p.329 gives the name as Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York.
On p.334, Harris (1972) indicates that, after a long wait, Vol. 2 of the Transactions was finally published in 1825 (ten years after the publication of Vol. 1), but it was quite slender by comparison with Vol. 1. By that time the Society was already in decline.
Harris (1972), pp.334-335 attributes this decline to two causes. Firstly, the Society had devoted more time to securing honorary memberships in the Society than to the promotion of science itself. Secondly, just three years after the Society had been founded, it found a rival in the Lyceum of Natural History of New-York (which was formed in 1817, and later became the New York Academy of Sciences). This rival proved to be more vigorous than the Society itself, and followed the more modern approach of specializing in an area (in their case, natural history), rather than the older generalist model of the Enlightenment, which had been followed by the Society.
According to Harris (1972), p.335, after the formation of the Lyceum, the Society went into a protracted decline. By the 1830s the Society had trouble reaching quorum for its meetings, the last of which is recorded to have occurred on 1834, November 28.

Seat of the Society

City Authority / Notes

New York
United States of America This location is supported by the name of the Society.

Name of the Society

Dates Name Authority

1814, January 13 - 1834, November 28 Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York Harris (1972), p.331 establishes the start date; p.329 gives the name, as though it did not change; p.335 gives the end date. Its publications.

Journals of the Society

Years Full Journal Title Abbrev. Indexed
1815 - 1825
(v.1 - v.2, no.1)

A Transactions of the Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York
[New York Pub. Lib. cat.] New York, Trans. Lit. Phil. Soc.
[RSLC, v.1, p.lvi]
Trans. of the Literary and Philosophical Soc. of N. Y.
[PMLA, Vol. 51, No. 4 (Dec., 1936), p.1143 cites I (1815).] RSLC

Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York
Founding of the Society
Year	Authority / Notes
1814	According to Harris (1972), p.331, the Society was founded on 1814, January 13. Harris (1972), p.329 gives the name as Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York. On p.334, Harris (1972) indicates that, after a long wait, Vol. 2 of the Transactions was finally published in 1825 (ten years after the publication of Vol. 1), but it was quite slender by comparison with Vol. 1. By that time the Society was already in decline. Harris (1972), pp.334-335 attributes this decline to two causes. Firstly, the Society had devoted more time to securing honorary memberships in the Society than to the promotion of science itself. Secondly, just three years after the Society had been founded, it found a rival in the Lyceum of Natural History of New-York (which was formed in 1817, and later became the New York Academy of Sciences). This rival proved to be more vigorous than the Society itself, and followed the more modern approach of specializing in an area (in their case, natural history), rather than the older generalist model of the Enlightenment, which had been followed by the Society. According to Harris (1972), p.335, after the formation of the Lyceum, the Society went into a protracted decline. By the 1830s the Society had trouble reaching quorum for its meetings, the last of which is recorded to have occurred on 1834, November 28.
Seat of the Society
City	Authority / Notes
New York United States of America	This location is supported by the name of the Society.
Name of the Society
Dates	Name	Authority
1814, January 13 - 1834, November 28	*Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York*	Harris (1972), p.331 establishes the start date; p.329 gives the name, as though it did not change; p.335 gives the end date. Its publications.

Journals of the Society
Years	Full Journal Title	Abbrev.	Indexed
1815 - 1825 (v.1 - v.2, no.1) A	*Transactions of the Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York* [New York Pub. Lib. cat.]	*New York, Trans. Lit. Phil. Soc.* [RSLC, v.1, p.lvi] *Trans. of the Literary and Philosophical Soc. of N. Y.* [PMLA, Vol. 51, No. 4 (Dec., 1936), p.1143 cites I (1815).]	*RSLC*