The Bystander was founded on 9 December 1903 and covered an array of topics: literary and theatre news, politics, foreign affairs, and sports. The weekly publication’s intended audience was the upper-middle and upper classes. The Bystander was published in London. George Holt Thomas founded the paper and William Comyns Beaumont was its first editor.

The publication also included drawings, cartoons, and short stories. This included early stories by the author and playwright Daphne du Maurier. Read her 1928 story Terror here. During the Second World War, the paper was particularly popular for Bruce Bairnsfather’s ‘Old Bill’ cartoons.

In 1940, The Bystander merged with The Tatler. Following this merger, the name of publication changed to The Tatler and Bystander. For a short period of time, from 1965 to 1968, it went by the name of London Life before reverting to The Tatler in 1968.