Post #5: EOTO #1 (The Invention of Magazines)

 The Earliest Known Magazines

Magazines were said to have started in the early 17th century once the printing press became used in Europe. The earliest known magazine was the German magazine, translated to Edifying Monthly Discussions. It was invented by Johann Rist, a poet in Hamburg, Germany in the 1600's. This inspired other publications of journals in Europe such as Denis de Sallo’s Journal des Scavans, The Royal Society Philosophical Transactions, and Francesco Nazarri’s Giomale de letterati. In 1672, a Frenchman named Jean Donneau de Vize published Le Mercure Galant that included news, short stories, and poetry. After this, more publications like this became very popular and increased enthusiasm for education.

The 18th century came and brought many women who enjoyed literacy and caused the record of reading numbers to go up. As a result, numerous women were then inspired to write their own work of literature for female readers. It also helped magazines to thrive because of the high number of female readers who used the magazines as a source of knowledge and entertainment, leading to the publication of the Athenian Mercury, a magazine especially written for women in 1693. 

Magazines in Britain

During the early 18th century in Great Britain, there were three major influential magazines that were published in the time period and were read regularly: Robinson Crusoe, Review,  Tatler, and Spectator. Publications such as these were published either daily or several times a week. They were supplied just as fast as newspapers but the content itself was similar to that of a magazine. The Review was written about domestic and foreign affairs and contained opinion-based political articles. The Tatler and Spectator, to quote, “emphasized living and culture and frequently used humor to promote virtuous behavior.” In 1709, the creation of the Female Tatler and the Female Spectator in 1744 became popular because of the amount of female readers that the Tatler and Spectator got.

 

Magazines in America

The year 1741 was the launch of American magazines from American Magazine by Andrew Bradford and General Magazine by Benjamin Franklin. The magazines quickly became rivals since they debuted a few days a part from each other. Unfortunately, the two magazines' fame lasted only a few months as the cost to read them was very high. 

By the 1830s, publishers started making cheaper magazines from a decrease in the cost of printing and mailing publications in hopes of attracting a wider audience. Magazines began to transform into amusement based rather than reason. They also shifted from being targeted to the elite class, but instead sent out family magazines, children magazines, and women magazines since the magazine business had grown. One of the earliest women magazines was Godey’s Lady’s Book, printed in Philadelphia between 1830 and 1898. The magazine sought out female readers and employed over 150 women.

The first and most successful magazine in the United States was The Saturday Evening Post. It was distributed weekly and started printing in 1821 and remained until 1969. The magazine got renowned in 1971 and went through alterations to center more around health and medical breakthroughs. Because of this change, it then began to produce 90,000 copies per year. The hit magazine was the first to ever put artwork on the cover. It utilized famous artists work such as Norman Rockwell and famous authors work like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis, and Ring Lardner which made the public want to read it more.

Another popular magazine in the U.S. during this time from 1827 to 1929 was Youth’s Companion which was targeted towards younger readers and inspired them to act righteous by advertising religious content. It expanded itself from younger readers to an adult audience by including tame entertainment pieces. 

Most publications back then costed around twenty-five or thirty-five cents per issue which left only a small category of people being able to buy them. In 1893, Samuel Sidney McClure started selling for fifteen cents McClure’s Magazine, a literary and political magazine. Many magazines began to use this affordable tactic. Cosmopolitan sold at around thirteen cents an issue and Munsey Magazine at ten cents. These magazines ultimately increased the number of people buying from 250,000 to 750,000. This cost decrease of magazines eventually led to more successful buying rates. By the 20th century, advertising in magazines became more prominent. Magazines would raise their advertising rates which increased the money they made. 

In 1923, Time became the first newsmagazine which focused on world news. The newsmagazine hit its peak in 1928 and the readership grew from there. Soon after, more newsmagazines began to appear. Business Week was founded in 1929 and was concentrated on the global market. Forbes began in 1917 as a biweekly and is focused on finances. It continues to be one of the most popular news magazines today.

A former Time editor founded Newsweek in 1933 and has over 4 million readers. The two magazines continue to compete for readership today. 

Along with newsmagazines, photojournalism was introduced in the 20th century. The most influential picture magazines by Henry Luce was Life between 1936 and 1972. It gained around 1 million readers in a short few weeks. The publication’s motto was, “to see life; to see the world; to witness great events; to watch the faces of the poor and the gestures of the proud; to see strange things.” Another similar magazine, Look printed between 1937 and 1971 and competed with Life for a bigger audience.

21st Century

Although magazines are continuing to be read and published, the use of technology has made it to where people can get their news and entertainment by the quick tap of a button and in most cases for free.