Charles hanson towne biography sampler

Born in 1877, Charles Hanson Towne enjoyed a long career as a poet, author, editor and general celebrity. That career began early, when 11 year old Towne created and published a magazine for himself and his friends, Unique Monthly, of which twelve issues still exist and are held in a special collection at the New York Public Library.

From this early start, publishing and editing was to become a lifelong love.

Charles hanson towne biography sampler

There’s little written about his childhood, other than the fact that he moved with his family from Kentucky to New York when he was just three years old. He spent nearly all his life there, and is considered by many to be the quintessential New Yorker.

Towne attended City College in New York, leaving after only a year to take a position as editorial assistant at Cosmopolitan magazine.

From there, he moved to take a position with a new publication, Smart Set, when it debuted in 1901. The new magazine was aimed at the upscale, sophisticated New Yorker, and it reflected the