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 Women’s magazines down the years: Spare Rib in 1972, Peg’s Paper from 1926 and Boyfriend from 1965 |
Flick through history of women’s magazines
WOMEN’S magazines have come a long way since the “Ladies’ Diary” almanac was published 1728 with its range of helpful tips on “what all women ought to be: innocent, modest, instructive and agreeable”.
Today’s equivalent – a tranche of glossy, celebrity-obsessed style mags – may not be a great testament to the huge strides made by the liberation movement.
But taken in the context of key points in history, as women’s aspirations have changed and society has progressed, they certainly make for interesting reading.
An exhibition at the Women’s Library includes a series of classic titles such as Peg’s Paper, Home Companion, Nova and The Queen. Many include contradictory messages, arcane beauty secrets, thrifty domestic shortcuts, bizarre advertisements and unlikely lifestyle tips.
Home Chat, first published in 1895, was aimed at working-class housewives while the launch of Cosmopolitan and the feminist bible Spare Rib in 1972 tapped into the spirit of the sexual revolution.
The earliest magazine on display is The Ladies Diary (1728), an annual almanac with hints on perfumes, pastry and courtship, together with brain-teasing mathematical puzzles.
The exhibition includes a film by photographer Annis Joslin about the voices and opinions of contemporary magazine readers.
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