William Jennings Demorest
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William Jennings Demorest was an American magazine publisher, prohibition leader, and businessman from New York City.
Early life
Demorest was born in 1822.Career
In collaboration with his second wife, Ellen Demorest he attained international success from his wife's development of paper patterns printed in Demorest's Illustrated Monthly. Together, they built a fashion manufacturing and merchandising empire from it.He and his wife launched five magazines and started a cosmetics company. He individually patented a sewing machine and a velocipede.
Demorest harbored lifelong political and religious aspirations. He is widely known for being a Prohibition activist and ran for Mayor of New York City on the Prohibition ticket. He also organized the Anti-Nuisance League.
The Demorest Medal Contests were a system of public oratorical competitions, founded as a means of Prohibition propaganda by Demorest in April, 1886. At the time of his death it was estimated that he had expended on medals and in maintaining the Medal Bureau more than. After his death, the Demorest medal system was merged with that of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and Mrs. Demorest was placed in charge of the Medal Department.
Magazines
- 1860: Mme Demorest's Mirror of Fashions was first published as a quarterly
- Demorest Monthly Magazine, The
- Demorest's Illustrated News
- Demorest's Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Location of operations
- Demorest Studio Building — 4 & 6 W 14th St
Personal life
In 1845, Demorest married Margaret Willamina Poole, daughter of Joseph and Jeannette Poole. While living on Varick Street, they had two children: Vienna Willamina Demorest and Henry Clay Demorest.On April 15, 1858, Demorest married Ellen Louise Curtis — a fashion arbiter. His wife gave birth to a son in 1859 and a daughter in 1865.
He was a member of the Prohibition Party
Death and legacy
He died in 1895Demorest, Georgia is named in his honor.