HIstory of Women's Magazines

  You know there are always magazines splashed around the checkout stands at the supermarket but I've never been one to buy and read them.  I tend to prefer do it yourself magazines or farming on 1/4th acre.

Have you ever wondered how long woman's magazines have been around?  I thought they were a recent as in the past 100 years or so but the first women's magazine showed up in London in 1693.

The Ladies Mercury, a weekly publication, stated it was all about answering questions about love, marriage, behavior, and other feminine concerns.  Unfortunately it only lasted a month before going out of business.  The next attempt in 1770 was the Ladies Magazine, a monthly British fashion magazine filled with embroidery patterns, sheet music, literary pieces, and fashion notes. This was one of the magazines which published its readerships contributions.  By the end of the 18th century, about a third of its content came from unpaid contributors.  It lasted till 1847 before it ceased publication.

Up until 1852, magazines were an elite item read by and contributed to by women who had lots of time on their hands but the Englishwoman's Domestic magazine changed that when they focused on middle class  women who did most of the cleaning and washing themselves.  This publication columns on pets and cooking with a special focus on crafts and began looking at fashion.  By 1860, the magazine featured a colored plate of the latest Paris Fashion. The magazine contained the pattern and instructions for making the clothing by any woman.

In 1830's America's  Godey's Ladies Magazine premiered in Philadelphia filled with poems, essays, and art work. It was the most widely circulated magazine prior to the Civil War with just over 150,000 subscribers. About half a century later, in 1883 The Ladies Home Journal made its appearance as a supplement to Tribune and Farmer but became independent in 1884  and in the process revolutionized the genre.  It offered recipes, cleaning tips, and stories.  Within a decade, it had a subscription base of 1 million, more than any other magazine of its time.  However it went out of print in 2014 after 131 years of existence.

At about the same time, a group of magazines began publication but they were specifically designed to provide the latest fashion information to women.  The first, Harper's Bazaar commenced publication in 1867, just after the end of the civil war.  It provided information on current fashion and culture each week. It appealed to upper and middle class women.  This was also the time of specialized magazine promoting patterns such as Butterick and McCalls. 

Through the mid 1800's magazine came and gone and most have disappeared into the mists of time. Only a few survived into the 21st century but with the internet who knows how long the print copies will remain.

Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from my readers.  Have a nice day.