Original 1904 Typed/Handwritten Letter Signed (TLS)
From: Robert MacKay, Editor of Success Magazine
To: Alfred Bushnell Hart (Harvard historian)
Date: March 17, 1904
Location: Washington Square, New York City

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Overview

Offered here is an original 1904 letter written on The Success Company letterhead, signed by Robert MacKay, editor of the influential early 20th-century publication Success Magazine. The letter is addressed to Alfred Bushnell Hart, one of the most prominent American historians of the era and a Harvard professor.

This piece captures a moment of editorial gatekeeping in the golden age of American magazines, with MacKay declining (for now) to commission Hart while leaving the door open for future collaboration.

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Historical Significance

This letter reflects the rapidly evolving world of American publishing at the turn of the 20th century:

• Success Magazine was a widely read publication focused on ambition, business, and self-made success, circulating among upwardly mobile Americans.
• The letter references editorial backlog and the challenge of managing monthly vs. daily/weekly publishing cycles, offering insight into early magazine production pressures.
• The exchange with Alfred Bushnell Hart connects this piece directly to Harvard academia and the professionalization of American historical writing.

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Full Transcription

March 17, 1904

Mr. Albert Bushnell Hart

Dear Sir:-

We thank you for your letter of March 12, and for the note of appreciation enclosed. I shall be very glad to notify you when you can be of service to us, but regret that just at present there is nothing that I can commission you to do. We do not care to order a special article on the war in the Far East just now. You know there is such a thing as overdoing a subject and with the dailies and weeklies “filling up” in the matter, a monthly is obliged to be careful. However, I shall not forget you when the first occasion arises.

Yours very truly,
Robert MacKay

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Biographical Notes

Robert MacKay (1871–?)

• Journalist, editor, and publishing figure in New York
• Managing editor of Success Magazine, one of the most widely read motivational/business publications of the early 1900s
• Previously worked as a reporter and editor in San Francisco and New York
• Part of the broader Frank A. Munsey publishing network, a dominant force in mass-market magazines

Alfred Bushnell Hart (1854–1943)

• Influential American historian and Harvard University professor
• Specialist in American history, slavery, and constitutional development
• Mentor to notable figures including W.E.B. Du Bois
• One of the early architects of professional historical scholarship in the United States

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Condition

• Original fold lines from mailing
• Light toning consistent with age
• Minor edge wear, but overall well-preserved
• Strong, clear signature and legible text

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Why This Piece Works

• Direct connection to early American publishing history
• Signed by a national magazine editor
• Addressed to a major Harvard historian
• Insight into editorial decisions during the Russo-Japanese War era (Far East reference)
• Attractive and displayable letterhead