Magazine Genre Research History #13

Welcome back, everyone!

        Today we will be talking about the history of magazines. 

 In 1663, the German journal Erbauliche Monaths Unterredungen became the first periodical to be referred to as a magazine. It was a philosophical and literary edition. Following its introduction, a number of publications with related subjects that catered to an intellectual audience were released.

When French novelist Jean Donneau de Vize founded Le Mercure Galant in 1672, a periodical akin to modern magazines (with a variety of themes and multiple authors) was published. It covered subjects from literature, drama, and legal proceedings. The idea of this magazine was imitated all over Europe. 

  Later, in the middle of the 19th century, periodicals were more widely accessible to middle-class people as well as the wealthy. Additionally, the quantity of prints rose and the cost of issues decreased as a result of innovations like the rotary press. This advancement in technology made it possible for circulation to rise.

Various publications began to develop in the early 20th century, and for some publishing industry titans like William Hearst, it was an expanding empire.


Helene Lazareff founded a magazine called Elle in France in 1945. It was a magazine that taught French ladies how to be kind and lovely. By 1960, when one out of six French women regularly read Elle, her magazine would have sold one million copies.     

The 1950s were the heyday of periodicals in the United States. The more contemporary style of magazine advertising was produced by a new generation of designers and creative directors. Since there were no computers at the time, everything had to be done by hand, which made creating magazines still incredibly challenging and time-consuming. It can take a month or so to generate a single problem. More publications appeared on newsstands and magazines began to flourish in the ensuing decades.

It has been predicted that periodicals will soon go out in the era of the Internet. This does not appear likely to occur, though, as magazines will continue to be published regardless of how well-liked tablet editions are. 

That is all for today, thank you!

Sources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper%27s_Bazaar

https://wechronicle.com/fashion/exploring-the-fascinating-history-of-fashion-magazines-from-vogue-to-harpers-bazaar/

https://www.encyclopedia.com/media/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/newsweek

https://www.newsweek.com/history-newsweek-103593

https://www.magzter.com/US/Cond%C3%A9-Nast/Bon-App%C3%A9tit/Food--Beverage/All-Issues

https://eatwell.healthy.ucla.edu/2021/03/08/the-history-of-cookbooks-and-where-we-are-today/

 Pictures: Canva