In 1887 the journalist Alfred Harmsworth
formed a new publishing business. Early publications included Answers
(1888) and Comic Cuts (1890) and in 1894 went into newspapers
when he acquired the Evening News.
The Evening News was nearly bankrupt when purchased by Harmsworth.
On 31st August he dramatically changed the paper. Although he retained
the traditional seven column layout, advertisements were reduced to
a single column on the left. Six columns of news were presented in
a crisper style with eye-catching headlines such as Was it Suicide
or Apoplexy?, Another Battersea Scandal, Bones in Bishopgate, Hypnotism
and Lunacy and Killed by a Grindstone. Alfred
Harmsworth also began to use illustrations to break-up the text.
By 16th November the Evening News was able to state that sales
had now reached 394,447. Alfred Harmsworth
claimed this as a world record for a newspaper and added that sales
would be over 500,000 if they owned more printing presses. Ideas developed
at the Evening News were later used by Harmsworth when he launched
the Daily Mail in 1896.
The
Evening News (2nd, November, 1894)
Available
from Amazon Books (order below)
