Not that long ago we went through a different issue of California, so to recap: California began life in 1976 as New West, a lifestyle and general interest magazine aimed at the glamorous young people who were moving to California, Nevada, Utah, and … Continue reading Let’s Read California, December 1986!

We’ve already been through a McCall’s before, so if you want to know the magazine’s detailed history you can read about it from the first time around. So, 1915. Europe is in bloody smoking mustard-scented shreds. The American public is … Continue reading Let’s Read McCall’s, December 1915!

What to say about Good Housekeeping? Been around for a zillion years, didn’t have a woman in charge until 1994, published by Hearst, still in print, will probably never die, blah blah let’s get to it. Cover by Alexander Sharpe … Continue reading Let’s Read Good Housekeeping, December 1953!

Time has been running steadily as one of the world’s most popular and influential magazines since its creation in 1923. Founded by Henry Luce, a man with far too much money and power, and his buddy Briton, a man who died … Continue reading Let’s Read Time, April 1999!

Us magazine, while perfectly fine in what it does, is not really the most groundbreaking of publications. I think of it as basically People with a slightly bigger budget. It covers the same things – movie and music reviews, celebrities, … Continue reading Let’s Read Us, June 1983!

Junior Scholastic launched in 1937 as an offshoot of Scholastic, a now-obscure kid’s magazine founded by the man who would go on to establish the Scholastic publishing empire. The magazine presents general interest topics with a strong focus on current events. The … Continue reading Let’s Read Junior Scholastic, February 1957!

Once upon a time, in a magical age known as The 80s, Children’s Television Workshop produced a magazine that was written expressly for adolescent computer nerds. It was called Enter. It lasted seventeen issues. The tween computer geek demographic of … Continue reading Let’s Read 3-2-1 Contact, January/July 1994!

There isn’t that much to uncover in the history of People magazine – or if there is, the staff associated with the magazine have done a tremendous job of keeping quiet during its nearly 45 years of unchecked popularity. Founded in … Continue reading Let’s Read People, October 8 1979!

Fortean Times is a British paranormal magazine named for the American author Charles Fort, who was one of the first popular writers on the subject of anomalous phenomena, more commonly known as the paranormal or “the unexplained” (but anomalous phenomena just … Continue reading Let’s Read Fortean Times, June/July 2001!

Modern Priscilla ran from 1887 to 1930, as a staple hobby and homemaking magazine that focused heavily on needlework and fashion design. This is a homemaking magazine for middle-class women who have the time to make things like tatted lace and … Continue reading Let’s Read Modern Priscilla, August 1920!

In last week’s teaser for this week’s thread, I said that The American was a short lived magazine. Boy, was I wrong. This sucker ran for 50 years. 1906-1956! And it was founded by Ida frickin’ Tarbell! (and some other people … Continue reading Let’s Read The American, June 1940!

Vanity Fair started in its earliest incarnation as Dress in 1913, one of Mr. Conde Nast himself’s first magazines. It had its ups and downs, eventually being absorbed into Vogue in the 30s and then revived as its own publication again … Continue reading Let’s Read Vanity Fair, September 1988!

Ms. magazine was founded by Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes in 1971 as the first national feminist magazine. More than just covering the hot-button topics of the feminist movement, Ms. published celebrity interviews, fiction, children’s interest, health news, and … Continue reading Let’s Read Ms. Magazine, June 1974!

Tatler was started as a weekly society and gossip magazine in 1901, and has had its ups and downs with popularity. After weathering a scandal in the mid 70s in which the editor admitted to routinely falsifying the magazine’s circulation … Continue reading Let’s Read Tatler, November 1960!