Commercialised Temperance: The Phenomenon of the Temperance Companion and How It Stayed Afloat

Abstract: This article examines the surprising success of the weekly broadsheet the Temperance Companion (1894–1901) in navigating the currents of the commercial market for nearly seven years. It differed significantly from similar social purpose periodicals not only in content and approach but also in its financial basis, and this article shows how the two were closely linked. The study advances our nuanced understanding of the New Journalism of the 1880s and 1890s, illustrates the broad field of temperance periodicals, and highlights the work of a dynamic and adventurous female editor.