Early magazines in the 19th century had a tough go and it was due mainly to distribution difficulties. There was no easy way to get the periodicals into the hands of women. It often took weeks and months for mail to travel via stagecoach. Another factor was the fact subscriptions were very expensive at $2 and $3 dollars a year, and few could afford that especially for non-essentials. In the larger cities, some magazines resorted to accepting pork, corn, cheese etc. in lieu of cash.
Nineteenth century women were often starved for something to engage their minds and relieve the tedium of their lives but before Godey’s Lady’s Book their choices were severely limited. Godey’s was the most widely circulated before the Civil War. The magazine was in circulation from 1830 to 1878. The magazine was owned by Louis Godey with Sarah Hale as the editor. Women loved reading articles they could relate to. While fashion plates were included in every issue, the magazine was geared toward the ordinary woman.
While Godey’s mostly appealed to women, Old Farmer’s Alamac was a staple in homes for men. They only sold for $.o4 a copy and was wildly popular. It began publishing in 1792 and still is today. Amazing. I enjoy reading it for for the interesting things it contains.
Ladies Home Journal began in 1883 and was in circulation for 131 years. Sadly, the July 2014 issue will be the last. It was the first magazine to attain one million subscribers and it was one of the first periodical to tackle some of the problems of the nineteen century such as suffrage, family planning, marriage advice, and child rearing.
Good Housekeeping came along in 1885. The thirty-two-page biweekly sold for $2.50 a year. It offered advice on home decorating, cooking and dressmaking but also carried puzzles and quizzes. It’s still in circulation today and publishes ten editions around the world. Their Seal of Approval has become a gold standard for quality in everything.
Cosmopolitan began in Rochester, New York in 1886 by Paul Schlicht who after sufffering financial difficulties due to the $4.oo a year subscription price sold the magazine to John Walker. To bolster interest in the periodical, Walker set out on a railroad tour of the New England states, giving the memoirs of either Ulysses S. Grant or General William T. Sherman to new subscribers. By 1896 the Cosmopolitan had secured its place as a leading periodical. The Hearst Corporation acquired the magazine in 1905.
Vogue was born in 1892, House Beautiful in 1896, National Geographic in 1888 and finally Scientific American in 1845.
There were others of course like the New England Kitchen Magazine in 1894 and the Delineator which included dress patterns in every issue, but the ones I’ve listed were the leading sellers. Although it was probably rare for any kind to find its way into a pioneer woman’s hands.
After the struggles of the first magazines, it seemed a periodical explosion took place.
I had no idea some of these went back so far. I’ll bet you didn’t either. If you had lived back then and had the money, which might you have subscribed to?
Here in the Texas Panhandle, we do love our cowboys. There's just something about a man in a Stetson and jeans that makes my heart beat faster. I'm not much of a cook but I love to do genealogy and I'm a bit of a rock hound. I'm also a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of historical western romance. You can contact me through my website and I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. HAPPY READING!
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I’m not sure I would have bought periodicals, but I might have bought some books and started a borrowing library between friends! Those poor women! Nothing for their emotional & mental health! …and I see that women’s products cost more than men’s products even way back in the 1800’s!
Ami, you’re so right. Women were really starved emotionally. They worked so hard from morning to night with little relief. The only thing a lot had was their sewing, knitting and such which allowed for some quiet and peace. When libraries came, it changed women’s lives. I’m glad we have access to them. Thanks for coming.
The Kansas State Library had a program where they would send a trunk of books to towns; everyone would read the books and then ship them back to Topeka and another trunk would be sent. The town would discuss the books and those who could not read would learn the stories either from people reading out loud or just having people tell the story. People would read all sorts of books, even those what were not geared toward a particular sex. Romances, for example, would be read by all. My grandmother told of how excited they were when a new trunk arrived.
As for publications, Good Housekeeping and Popular Mechanics. If people what to sample the magazine they need only look at archive.org and many of the public domain issues are there.
Thanks for coming, David. I’m sure those trunks of books were a welcome sight. Before the internet, which is still only the last 25 years, the only place where people could read magazines was in libraries or else buying them. It was very hard on the early settlers. President Franklin Roosevelt saw the need for and importance of reading so he implemented horseback librarians who would go back into the far reaches of the Appalachian mountains delivering books. It was a popular program.
I noticed ‘Godey’s Lady’s Book’ had a note under the heading ‘make up your clubs for next year.’ I guess if five or more ladies contributed to one subscription it became more affordable, even if it was a little dog-eared and out of date by the time the last person got to read it!
Jeannette, most very dog-eared and tattered, but those women didn’t care. Reading material was cherished by men and women alike. Thanks for liking my post.
Ladies home journal and good housekeeping.if money wasn’t an object back then.
Anxious, it’s odd to me that these magazines are still published today. I love Good Housekeeping and few others for their food recipes. Sometimes they give me an idea for something. I’m glad you stopped by.
LHJ and/or GH.
Vickie, those are still both excellent magazines. Thanks for coming.
I would have read any of them
Rhonda, me too. I still like to thumb through magazines when I see them lying around waiting rooms and such. A great way to fill the time. Have a blessed day.
Ladies Home Journal and/or Good Housekeeping
ScaredSilly, those are so filled with good articles, recipes, and other interesting things. They haven’t changed much from those early days. They sure filled a hunger for reading material. Blessings and love
I remember my mom getting Ladies Home Journal and my dad The Farmer’s Almanac when I was growing up. I get Good Housekeeping every month.
Linda R., that’s great. I’ll admit I stopped subscribing to magazines years ago when they became too expensive. Blessings and love.
My mother started with Good Housekeeping and my father had Popular Mechanics. I remember reading them both. Interesting post Linda! And so I had to search when Popular Mechanics came out! It came out in 1902. Not during pioneer times, but still a while back. I think my paternal grandfather was born then.
Not sure what magazine I would be reading. I don’t think any of my ancestors were well off! LOL I come from dirt farmers mostly! I’m sure I would have been reading something though! Hiding in a hay loft reading, I’m sure!
Tracy, none of my people would’ve been able to buy these magazines either but I’m sure they would’ve loved and enjoyed them if they were given to them. Farmers Almanac was so popular because they cost very little. I’m glad you enjoyed my post. Have a great day.
Thanks for the post, Linda! I read GH a few times while growing up but never subscribed to it. I think that would have been the most logical to a lot of women. I come from farmer stock (although I never lived on a farm myself!) so I doubt any of them subscribed to magazines unless my grandpa read Farmer’s Almanac but he was too busy with the farm! He did read his local newspaper every night, I remember!
Valri, Farmers Almanac was usually read every fall when they came out because farmers wanted to get the winter forecast. That was important. And then in the fall, they needed to know when best to plant crops. Your grandpa probably read it some. Newspapers were enjoyed when they were relaxing when they could find time. Love and hugs, dear friend.
LHJ & GH.
Denise, most are choosing these two. I think they were the most popular. Thanks for coming. Wishing you a beautiful day.
This was so interesting! I subscribed to Good Housekeeping for years.
Kathy, I’m glad you enjoyed my post. Wishing you a day of beauty and roses.
I not sure because I am not in to magazines but it would be something to read so maybe Good Housekeeping.
Quilt Lady, I can see you reading Good Housekeeping. They had a lot of articles on quilting that might’ve caught your eye. Thanks for reading my post. Love and hugs.
I would have subscribed to Godey’s and Ladies Home Journal.
Naomi, you sound like a woman very interested in what these magazines offered. Have a lovely day,
The Ladies Home Journal. My dad used to go by the Farmer’s Almanac as he was a farmer. He was born in 1919 and a farmer for most of his life. Any magazine that is above my pay grade would not be of interest to me as I did not aspire to look like a model or live beyond my means. My parents taught me how to be frugal.
Judy, I totally understand. Those fashion magazines wouldn’t interest me at all either. I would want some with food recipes or tips for decorating. My dad was born in 1913 and he wasn’t a farmer but he loved the weather forecasts and the moon cycles for when fishing was good. They had so much good information in them. Thanks for coming. Have a lovely day.
Good morning, I would subscribe to Good Housekeeping, National Geographic and Ladies Home Journal.
Alicia, I love the National Geographic. It’s always so interesting. I guess that’s because I’m drawn to anything dealing with archeology. Thanks for reading my post. Love and hugs.
This was so fascinating. I would have subscribed to the Farmers Almanac for my hubby. He loves reading it.
Barbara, thanks for coming. I buy Farmers Almanac every fall when it comes out for the weather forecast and I’ve never farmed. There are a lot of other things like astrology that interests me. Thanks for liking my post. Wishing you a great day,
I might have subscribed to the Delineator because of it having patterns in it or Good Housekeeping for the variety of things in it if I could afford them.
Thanks for dropping by, Connie. I think many of us who want to enrich our lives would’ve found some way to take a magazine or two. Have a special day.
Good morning what a great blog. I know the Farmers Almanac would definitely be one I would get. I also loved Good Housekeeping.
I did not know these went back that far.
I remember as a little girl looking through the Sears catalog & the Montgomery Ward catalog and having sweet Christmas wishes. The young children today will never know the joy of dreaming, while looking through the catalog.
Love you my sweet sister friend.
Tonya, it was always exciting at our house when we would get those Sears and Montgomery Ward Christmas catalogs. Jan and I would sure do a lot of dreaming. You’re right, I don’t think kids dream as much as we did because they’re given so much. I can see you devouring Farmers Almanac. Love you dearly.
Good Housekeeping and the Ladies Home Journal. We used to get Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, and Family Circle.
Trudy, you’re a woman with a rich life. Those magazines are filled with interesting things. I’m glad you enjoyed my post.
Awesome
It is amazing that periodicals could make a go if it in the early 19th century. Delivery is important. Things being the way they were, I guess people were happy to get any news or information when its availability was so limited. It certainly wouldn’t matter too much if it happened to be a bit late. I would have gotten Godey’s Lady’s Book, Old Farmer’s Almanac, and Ladies Home Journal. I have some magazines from WWI both during the war and afterward, plus during the Spanish influenza outbreak. The articles and advertisements are interesting. It is nice to get a contemporary look at historical periods. The perspective is different from that of us looking back at it.
Thank you for your interesting article. I think Lady Godey’s would have been great to subscribe to.
Good housekeeping for me.
Good Housekeeping or Ladies Home Journal.
My mother, and her mother before her, subscribed to both Lady’s Home Journal and Good Housekeeping, with the subscriptions going back to the early 1900’s. Probably because of the Depression, my grandfather would stash the magazines in the basement I don’t know exactly when, but it was no later than 2000, all those magazines were hauled to the trash, either when my grandfather passed away or my mother. When I look back on the value – those magazines were in very good shape – I just cringe. They would have been a goldmine for antique hunters!