An overdue current affairs magazine checked out from a New Hampshire library more than 130 years ago has been returned to the Concord Public Library this month. The 84-year-old man who brought back the September 1894 issue of The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine was able to avoid a potential fine that could have exceeded $12,000 by taking advantage of the library’s fine amnesty program.

John Hanson, who presented the magazine at the library, said the magazine came into his possession during a house move in 1966. He noted that neither of his parents had library cards, and while his late first wife, Carol, was a regular library user, she would not have allowed an item to be so long overdue. The original borrower remains unknown.

The Century Magazine was a widely read illustrated periodical published between 1881 and 1930. It combined history, literature, poetry, and current events and gained popularity in the late 19th century for extensive coverage of the post–Civil War era. The publication was also known for printing excerpts from emerging authors like Henry James and Mark Twain; notably, it featured portions of Twain’s *Huckleberry Finn* several years after its 1885 US debut.

The returned edition still contained a Concord Public Library bookplate and noted that it “may be kept for one week,” highlighting the brief borrowing period originally set for the magazine. Jennifer Needham, the library’s archivist and outreach coordinator, recalled being surprised when Hanson arrived with the magazine, as she had expected something from a more recent era. She expressed curiosity about why the original borrower never returned the magazine, speculating whether it may have been lost or if the borrower was too embarrassed to bring it back.

The September 1894 issue included articles on contemporary social debates, such as the need for more outdoor playground spaces in urban public schools—an idea that was not widely prioritized at the time. The magazine also featured advertisements reflecting the products of that era, including Beeman’s Pepsin Gum, promoted as a remedy for indigestion, and Hernan Cortez Cigars, described as being produced under favorable climate conditions in Key West, Florida, targeting “men of brains.”

The return of this historic magazine not only closes a long-overdue chapter for the library but also offers a glimpse into the social and cultural landscape of the United States over a century ago.