Thank The ArabsName “magazine” appeared in the year 1731 with the occurrence of the Gentleman’s Magazine. The name magazine, which comes from the Arabic word which means the warehouse, and was used for describing the place which deposits large quantity of various goods, while the analogy used to describe a book that contained many useful information for travelers and sailors.
The success of the magazine was great, but the costs of every issue were even higher. Printing cost was high, and the number of printed copies could not be greater than one hundred thousand, because it was technically impossible to squeeze a larger amount of paper through the machine. Distribution was also a big problem because it was difficult to move large quantities of magazines at great distances. |
First Ad PagesIn the mid 19th century readers were not only the rich ones and magazines become available to the middle class.
With technological progress, increased circulation, and increasing use of images, magazines are becoming increasingly attractive to advertisers. The first advertising agency was established in 1890 and from that point on advertising started to flourish. |
Print is not DeadSome have predicted the death of the magazines, just like they have predicted the death of the newspapers in the 90’s, but neither newspapers died, and neither will the magazines. There will still be printed magazines, no matter how popular tablet editions are. Yes, the numbers will drop but they will never die.
IPad is a great tool, and it brings new possibilities in magazine production for sure, but it cannot replace that feeling of paper between your fingers. That smell of freshly printed pages. There will always be a need for printed magazines. Magazines shape our lives, telling us what to wear, what to eat, what to think about ourselves and the world around us. Although this is the age of the Internet, we continue to enjoy magazines, admire their pages, editorials, headlines. Is there anything nicer than to come home after a hard day’s work, put on slippers, sit back in a sofa and read a favourite magazine that you just grabbed at the local news-stand? |
Magazines through time- She Will Change the way Women think?
At that time in post WWII Europe, in France, one person launched a magazine that greatly changed the way women think, speak, and perceive themselves. It was Helene Gordon Lazareff and her Elle(French for “she”) magazine was launched in 1945. Weekly Elle instructed French women how to be attractive and nice. The success of the magazine was huge and many have identified Helene and Elle, and the readers identified with Helen – what was good for Helen, was good for her readers.
One of her talents was that she was able to find the right person at the right time, she knew how to create a star. In 1947 Helen promoted unknown designer Dior and his New Look, in 1950 she put on the cover, then unknown Brigitte Bardot, in 1952 she employed Francoise Giroud, a feminist who later runs the famous French political weekly L’Express. In 1958 she promoted the return of Coco Chanel, although at that time the French press did not favor famous Mademoiselle.
Elle in 1965 promoted the futuristic vision in white by designer Courreges, and from week to week Ellewas written by Simone de Beauvoir, Marguerite Duras, Colette and Françoise Dolto. Number of sold copies reached one million in 1960, when one out of six French women regularly reads Elle.
In the history of the publishing no editor had such a lasting impact on its magazine as it was Helene. She left the magazine in 1972 when the sold circulation was around a million copies. In the year 1988, when dying of Alzheimer’s disease, circulation of Elle dropped to barely 370 000 sold copies.
One of her talents was that she was able to find the right person at the right time, she knew how to create a star. In 1947 Helen promoted unknown designer Dior and his New Look, in 1950 she put on the cover, then unknown Brigitte Bardot, in 1952 she employed Francoise Giroud, a feminist who later runs the famous French political weekly L’Express. In 1958 she promoted the return of Coco Chanel, although at that time the French press did not favor famous Mademoiselle.
Elle in 1965 promoted the futuristic vision in white by designer Courreges, and from week to week Ellewas written by Simone de Beauvoir, Marguerite Duras, Colette and Françoise Dolto. Number of sold copies reached one million in 1960, when one out of six French women regularly reads Elle.
In the history of the publishing no editor had such a lasting impact on its magazine as it was Helene. She left the magazine in 1972 when the sold circulation was around a million copies. In the year 1988, when dying of Alzheimer’s disease, circulation of Elle dropped to barely 370 000 sold copies.
Golden era and Mad Man
On the other side of the Atlantic, in USA begins the golden era of magazines. What Paris was for modern art in the late 19th and early 20th century, New York of the 50’s was in the modern magazine art direction, specifically Madison Avenue the location of the largest magazines of that era.
Manhattan was the birthplace of a new generation of designers and art directors who have established design and magazine advertising as we know it today. Later this period was called the Creative Revolution. In several buildings in Manhattan worked revolutionary giants – Alexey Brodovitch forHarper’s Bazaar, Leo Lionni for Fortune, Steve Frankfurt for Young & Rubicam, Herb Lubalin forHennessey, Henry Wolf for Esquire, Art Paul for Playboy and Alexander Liberman for Conde Nast.
However, with all the big names, making magazines was very difficult and time-consuming. There were no computers and almighty Photoshop, everything was done manually, and the main tools were pencils, erasers, rulers, tape. It took around four months to produce one issue.
Manhattan was the birthplace of a new generation of designers and art directors who have established design and magazine advertising as we know it today. Later this period was called the Creative Revolution. In several buildings in Manhattan worked revolutionary giants – Alexey Brodovitch forHarper’s Bazaar, Leo Lionni for Fortune, Steve Frankfurt for Young & Rubicam, Herb Lubalin forHennessey, Henry Wolf for Esquire, Art Paul for Playboy and Alexander Liberman for Conde Nast.
However, with all the big names, making magazines was very difficult and time-consuming. There were no computers and almighty Photoshop, everything was done manually, and the main tools were pencils, erasers, rulers, tape. It took around four months to produce one issue.