Harper's Magazine /

Harper's Magazine (also called Harper's) is a monthly, left-leaning, general-interest magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (Scientific American is the oldest); current circulation is more than 220,000 issues. The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010. Harper's Magazine has won many National Magazine Awards. Harper's Magazine was launched as Harper's New Monthly Magazine in June 1850, by the New York City publisher Harper & Brothers; who also founded Harper's Bazaar magazine, later growing to become HarperCollins Publishing. The first press run, of 7,500 copies, sold out almost immediately; circulation was some 50,000 issues six months later. The early issues reprinted material already published in England, but the magazine soon was publishing the work of American artists and writers, and in time commentary by the likes of Winston Churchill and Woodrow Wilson. In 1962, Harper & Brothers merged with Row, Peterson & Company, becoming Harper & Row (now HarperCollins).