Yellow Book

This page is about the literary journal. For the yellow book on CD-rom standards, see Yellow Book (CD-ROM standards)

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The Yellow Book, published from 1894 to 1897 by John Lane, and edited by Henry Harland, was an important literary periodical that lent its name to the "Yellow" 1890s.

It was the leading journal of British Aestheticism; Aubrey Beardsley was its first art director, and had the idea of the yellow cover; he brought in works by Walter Sickert and Wilson Steer. The literary content was no less distinguished; authors found within its pages during the brief years of its existence include:

• Max Beerbohm
• Arnold Bennett
• "Baron Corvo"
• Ernest Dowson
• Henry James
• Sir Edmund Gosse
• Richard Le Gallienne
• Arthur Machen
• Charlotte Mew
• Count Eric Stenbock

Though Oscar Wilde never published anything within its pages, it was linked to him because Wilde had used Beardsley as the illustrator for his Salomé, and was on friendly terms with many of the contributors. The publication was deemed tainted by association with Wilde after his notorious trials, and ceased publication after his conviction.

It is interesting to compare it with a Black book (also a little black book) which contains a list of potential dates etc carried usually by men and the Blue Book, which is where the comedian Max Miller got his 'dirty' material'. The Red Book is the This is Your Life book.