Vintage Magazines PDF – Read Old Magazines Online – Page 1

American Magazine

Vol 1-99 (1876-1925)

New York

The American Magazine was founded in 1906 as a continuation of a failed publication purchased from publishing mogul Miriam Leslie. It began as Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly in 1876 and went through two more name changes prior to 1906. When new management took over in 1906, highly respected muckraking journalists Ray Stannard Baker, Lincoln Steffens and Ida M. Tarbell left McClure’s (also found on this web page) for American Magazine. Baker used the pseudonym David Grayson (but sometimes also used his own name). Besides social issues, American Magazine also focused on human interest stories and fiction. – information from Wikipedia. Vintage American magazines pdf.

Atlantic Monthly

1857-1879

Washington, DC: Emerson Collective

“This was founded in 1857 in Boston as The Atlantic Monthly, a literary and cultural magazine that published leading writers’ commentary on education, the abolition of slavery, and other major political issues of that time. Its founders included Francis H. Underwood and prominent writers Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and John Greenleaf Whittier. James Russell Lowell was its first editor.” -Wikipedia.

Blackwood’s Magazine

Issues 1817 (vol 2) – 1927 at HathiTrust

Issues 1817-1980 at Internet Archive (Black & White)

Edinburgh, Scotland: Blackwood

Launched in 1817 by publisher William Blackwood and originally called the ‘Edinburgh Monthly Magazine’, Blackwood’s was an outlet for aggressive Tory (Conservative party) political views. It contained satire, reviews and criticism, as well as poetry and literary works. It ceased publication in 1980, having remained under Blackwood family ownership for its entire active life. – from info in Wikipedia. Vintage Blackwood’s magazines pdf.

The Bookman; an Illustrated Literary Journal

Vol 1 (Feb-Jul 1895) to Vol. 56 (Feb 1923)

Vol 8 (Sep 1898-Feb 1899)

Vol 9 (Mar-Aug 1899)

New York

“Illustrated articles on literary biography, criticism and literary history with occasional discussions of art. Sprightly in tone and very useful for study clubs. The book reviews, which vary from detailed criticism to mere comment, are much used by libraries and bookmen generally. Since February 1917, the scope has been widened to include more articles on general political and social subjects.” – F. K. Walter, Periodicals for the Small Library, ALA 1918. Read old Blackwood’s magazines.

Century Magazine

Vol 1 (1870 – Vol 114 (1927)

New York

The Century Magazine was first published in the United States in 1881 by The Century Company of New York City. It was the successor of Scribner’s Monthly Magazine (not to be confused with Scribner’s Magazine) and ceased publication in 1930. It gave much space to illustrated articles on history, and to literary criticism, fiction, poetry, literature, and current affairs. This vintage magazine reached its peak in circulation in the 1890s, when it was the largest periodical in the country. However, it lost 90% of its subscribers by 1930. -info from Wikipedia. Read old Century magazines online or download them.

Collier’s National Weekly

1901-1923

1908-1918

1926-1957 at UNZ

The volumes below are at Internet Archive

New York

Collier’s magazine was an American weekly, founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier, who was a pioneer in investigative journalism. For decades it had a reputation for being politically progressive, and became by 1919 one of the most popular magazines in the U.S. It reached a circulation of 2.8 million by 1946, but began a decline in the early ’50s. It changed to a bi-weekly in August 1953, and ceased publication in January 1957. – from Wikipedia. Read old Colliers magazines online for free.

Comfort

1891-1924

Augusta, Maine: Morse & Co.

“Devoted to Art, Literature, Science, and the Home Circle”. This extremely popular old pdf magazine seems to have been aimed at the entire family. It was the first publication in America to reach 1 million subscribers.

Cosmopolitan Magazine

Cosmopolitan Magazine Website

2015-2016

1886-1961 (B&W)

1886-1925

U.S. – Hearst Communications

Cosmopolitan began in NY City as a family magazine, in 1886. By the early 1890s it was a leading fiction magazine, with stories by top authors. William Randolph Hearst bought Cosmopolitan in 1905, after which it continued to feature top fiction authors as well as investigative pieces and other nonfiction.
In 1965 Helen Gurley Brown became chief editor, and radically changed Cosmopolitan. A feminist who wished to erase the stigma of unmarried women having sex, ‘Cosmo’ was transformed into a racy, contentious, and highly successful magazine for single career women. – info from Wikipedia. These old pdf Cosmopolitan magazines were significant in the history of American culture.

Country Life Magazine

1901-1927

New York

The magazine began in 1901 with a target audience of people living in rural America, but changed its focus to city dwellers looking for ideas on country living. The 1904 issues are titled: Country Life in America; a magazine for the home-maker, the country gentleman, the farmer, the gardener, the nature-student, and the lover of clean athletics and sports. In 1911 it was titled Country Life in America, a magazine for the home-maker in the country. In 1917 the name changed to The New Country Life. This free vintage pdf magazine provides a window into prosperous suburban life in the 19-teens and ’20s. It ceased publication in 1942.

Everybody’s Magazine

Vol 1 – 49 (1899-1923)

1899-1929 at Internet Archive (Black & White)

NY: North American Company

According to the Magazine’s entry in Wikipedia, Everybody’s Magazine was founded by Philadelphia merchant John Wanamaker in 1899, who had little role in its operations. It published a mix of non-fiction and fiction. In 1903, with a circulation of 150,000, it was sold to a group headed by Erman Jesse Ridgeway. A series of muckraking articles called “Frenzied Finance” in 1904 boosted circulation to over 500,000, and it stayed above that mark for many years, while changing its content to mainly fiction.

The Gentleman’s Magazine

Issues 1731-1907

London, UK: Edward Cave & others

The first English periodical to be called a “magazine”. Founder Edward Cave’s “innovation was to create a monthly digest of news and commentary on any topic the educated public might be interested in, from commodity prices to Latin poetry. It carried original content from a stable of regular contributors, as well as extensive quotations and extracts from other periodicals and books. It was read throughout the English-speaking world and continued to flourish through the 18th century and much of the 19th century under a series of different editors and publishers.” – Wikipedia
The collection at this HathiTrust link appears to contain a complete run, from the magazine’s founding in 1731 to the end of general publication in 1907. The numbering of volumes at the link is irregular: Vol 1 is the 5th item, Vol 2 is about 25th, etc. Indexes are in the list. Read old Gentleman’s magazines online free.

Harper’s Weekly: A Journal of Civilization

1859-1916

New York: Harper’s Magazine Co.

An American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, alongside illustrations. It carried extensive coverage of the American Civil War, from correspondents in the field. The publisher also produced a monthly magazine. – Wikipedia. Read old Harper’s Weekly magazines.

Hearst’s Magazine

1915-1924 (vols 27-46)

1913-1914 (vols 23-25)

The World Today 1902-1912 (vols 3-22)

Chicago and New York

“Hearst’s Magazine was a 1912 renaming of ‘The World Today’, which Hearst had acquired in 1911. It continued the volume numbering of that periodical, and thus began with Volume 22. In 1922, the title shifted to “Hearst’s International”. In the mid-1920s, Hearst’s International combined publication with Cosmopolitan, which eventually effectively absorbed it.” – The Online Books Page. The Hearst here referred to was William Randolph Hearst, a somewhat infamous and very powerful newspaper publisher.

Illustrated London News

1842-1927

London, UK

First published on 14 May 1842, this was the world’s first illustrated weekly news magazine. For graphics, the newspaper relied entirely on a team of illustrators until it began using photos about 1890. However, drawings still made up part of the illustrations as late as the 1920s. This appears to have been England’s most popular news weekly throughout the 19th century. Old Illustrated London News magazines online.

The Leisure Hour: an illustrated magazine for home reading

1852-1905

London, UK: Religious Tract Society

“A British general-interest periodical of the Victorian era which ran weekly from 1852 to 1905. It was the most successful of several popular magazines published by the Religious Tract Society, which produced Christian literature for a wide audience. Each issue mixed multiple genres of fiction and factual stories, historical and topical.” – Wikipedia.

Leslie’s Weekly

1855-1922

New York

Originally called Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, this is one of several magazines founded by illustrator and publisher Frank Leslie. Well-known for the quality of its illustrations, this popular national publication averaged about 16 pages per issue. Read old Leslie’s Weekly magazines.

Liberty Magazine

1925-1947

NY: McCormick-Patterson et al.

“An American weekly, general-interest magazine. Launched in 1924 by McCormick-Patterson, the publisher until 1931, when it was taken over by Bernarr Macfadden until 1941. At one time it was said to be “the second greatest magazine in America,” ranking behind The Saturday Evening Post in circulation. It featured contributions from some of the biggest politicians, celebrities, authors, and artists of the 20th century. The contents of the magazine provide a unique look into popular culture, politics, and world events. – Wikipedia. Read old Liberty magazines.

Life Magazine

1883-1927

1883-1957 (Black & White)

1936-1972

Chicago

Life was published as a weekly magazine from 1883 to 1972. It was initially a humor and general interest / light entertainment magazine, similar to the British magazine Puck. In 1936 it was acquired by Henry Luce, who changed the focus to news and particularly to photojournalism. Read old Life magazines.

McClure’s Magazine

Vol 1 (1893) – Vol 59 (1927)

New York

McClure’s magazine (1893-1929) is credited with having started the tradition of muckraking journalism (investigative, watchdog or reform journalism), and helped shape the moral compass of the day. The magazine featured both political and literary content, publishing serialized novels-in-progress, a chapter at a time. In this way, McClure’s published such writers as Willa Cather, Arthur Conan Doyle, Herminie T. Kavanagh, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, Lincoln Steffens, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Mark Twain. Examples of its work include Ida Tarbell’s series in 1902 exposing the monopoly abuses of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, and Ray Stannard Baker’s earlier look at the United States Steel Corporation, which focused the public eye on the conduct of corporations. – Wikipedia. Vintage McClure’s magazines pdf.

Newsweek Magazine

Magazine Website

1933-2008 – at Century Past Page

U.S. – Newsweek

“This weekly news magazine covers the national and global news front through news, commentary and analysis. It includes national and international affairs, business, lifestyle, society, the arts, politics, the economy, personal business, the Washington scene, health, science and technology.” – Newsweek Magazine.

The Nineteenth Century and After

1921-1927

London: Henry S. King & Co.

Originally known at ‘The Nineteenth Century’, this British magazine was renamed ‘The Nineteenth Century and After’ in the 1901 issue. Vintage Nineteenth Century magazines pdf.

North American Review

1815-1927

1815 to 1939

Boston

“One of America’s leading literary journals of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Early contributors included William Cullen Bryant, Daniel Webster, John Adams, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Francis Parkman. Two of the Review‘s best-known editors, in the 1860s and 1870s, were James Russell Lowell and Henry Adams. In the late 1870s, under new ownership, the Review was transformed into a national periodical noted “for its critical influence and outstanding writing concerning social and political issues”. Contributors then included William Gladstone, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mark Twain and H.G. Wells.” – Encyclopedia Britannica online. Vintage North American Review magazines pdf.

Overland Monthly

1868-1923

1868-1935 at Internet Archive (Black & White)

San Francisco

Monthly. Edited by Bret Harte, the Overland Monthly; devoted to the Development of the Country began publication in 1868 in San Francisco and continued through 1875. It contained non-fiction, short stories and poetry. In 1880 the publishers founded the Californian, which then became the Californian and Overland Monthly and in 1883 was re-titled the Overland Monthly. In 1923 it merged with the magazine Out West, and continued until 1935. Some writers associated with the magazine were Alice Cary, Jack London, Mark Twain and Henry George.
— Information from Wikipedia entry for “Overland Monthly”. Read old Overland Review magazines.

Popular Magazine

1910-1930

NY: Street & Smith

“An early American literary magazine that ran for 612 issues from November 1903 to October 1931. It featured short fiction, novellas, serialized larger works, and even entire short novels. In October 1931, The Popular Magazine was merged with another Street & Smith pulp, Complete Stories.” – Wikipedia. Read old Popular magazines.

Saturday Evening Post

Magazine Website

1899-1927

1821-1961 at Internet Archive (Black & White)

U.S.

“The Saturday Evening Post is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influential magazines within the American middle class, with fiction, non-fiction, cartoons and features that reached millions of homes every week. The magazine declined in readership through the 1960s, and in 1969 The Saturday Evening Post folded for two years before being revived as a quarterly publication with an emphasis on medical articles in 1971. As of the late 2000s, The Saturday Evening Post is published six times a year by the Saturday Evening Post Society, which purchased the magazine in 1982. The magazine was redesigned in 2013.” – Wikipedia. Read old Saturday Review magazines.

Saturday Night

1887-1927

Toronto, Canada

“Saturday Night was a Canadian magazine founded in 1887. Up until ceasing publication in 2005, it was Canada’s oldest general interest magazine. When first launched, the magazine was a weekly broadsheet newspaper about public affairs and the arts before expanding into general interest.” – Wikipedia. Old Saturday Night magazines online.

Scribner’s Magazine

1887-1927

1887-1938 at Internet Archive (Black & White)

New York

Scribner’s Magazine was produced by the publisher Charles Scribner’s Sons from 1887 to 1939, which also produced Scribner’s Monthly (later renamed Century Illustrated, and found on this web page). Scribner’s Magazine was launched to compete with Harper’s Monthly and Atlantic Monthly (both are found on this web page). Editor Edward Bulingame hired top artists to illustrate it, including Howard Pyle, Maxfield Parrish and Frederic Remington, and the magazine became known for the outstanding quality of its many illustrations. Many well-known writers contributed, including Jacob Riis, Theodore Roosevelt and John Galsworthy.- from information in the Wikipedia entry. Read old Scribner’s magazines.

The Spectator Magazine

The Spectator Website

1828-1927 at Internet Archive (Black & White)

London, UK

The oldest weekly magazine in the world, founded in 1828 by Scottish reformer Robert Stephen Rintoul. ” – Wikipedia. It still exists. Vintage Spectator magazines pdf.

Time Magazine

Time Magazine Website

1923-2022 – Century Past Time Magazine Page

U.S. – TIME USA, LLC, owned by Marc Benioff

“Offering a rare convergence of incisive reporting, lively writing and world-renowned photography, Time magazine has been credited with bringing journalism at its best into the fabric of American life.” – Time Magazine.

The World Today Magazine

‘The World Today’ was acquired by William Randolph Hearst and renamed in 1912 ‘Hearst’s Magazine’. There is an entry for Hearst’s Magazine above on this webpage, which also contains most issues of ‘The World Today’. Vintage World Today magazines pdf.

The World’s Work Magazine

Vol 1 (1900) – Vol 54 (1927)

1900-1932 at Internet Archive (Black & White)

New York

“Discusses all kinds of current events and current tendencies in articles by recognized authorities and in well written editorial comments. The social development of the country receives as much attention as its material prosperity. Well illustrated and popular in style. One of the four periodicals most widely used in school work and very useful for club and debate work.”-F. K. Walter, Periodicals for the Small Library, ALA 1918. Old World’s Work magazines online.

Arthur’s Home Magazine

1851-1897

Philadelphia

A monthly journal founded by publisher Timothy Shay Arthur. Aimed at women, it contained fiction, poetry, non-fiction articles, fashion, and more.

Godey’s Lady’s Book Magazine

Vols 1-136 (1830-1898)

Philadelphia

This monthly was the most widely circulated magazine in the U.S. in the period before the Civil War, reaching a circulation of 150,000 in 1860 despite being more expensive than other monthlies. It was published by Louis A. Godey in Philadelphia from 1830 to 1878. Each issue contained poetry, articles and engravings created by prominent artists and writers. Also recipes submitted by readers, illustrations of current clothing fashions, crafts, family activities, games, and much else about daily life in 19th century America. A similar magazine, ‘Peterson’s, is also found on this webpage. Godey’s Lady’s Book.

Good Housekeeping Magazine

Magazine Website

1885-1886 and 1922-1925 of British Edition Online Books Page

1885-1928 at HathiTrust

1885-1928 at Internet Archive (Black & White)

2015-2016 at Internet Archive

Holyoke, Mass

“Good Housekeeping Magazine presents a diverse blend of articles on life-management, beauty care, cooking, shopping, holiday planning, and interior design for the average woman or mother. Each issue features enticing recipes for daily cooking or special occasions alongside useful tips for eating healthy and maintaining a fit figure. You’ll also find ideas for creative craft projects, maximizing space with smart storage options, and upgrading your home décor on any budget. Whether you have a spouse, children, or pets, Good Housekeeping Magazine provides timeless advice on building strong relationships and creating a healthy, advantageous environment for your loved ones.” – Good Housekeeping.

Harper’s Bazaar

Magazine Website

1870-1922

New York

Vol 3 (1870) to Vol 57 (1922) Incomplete.
“Harper’s BAZAAR was founded in 1867, and it’s been guiding generations of women through the world of beauty and fashion ever since. It always features well-known names in the industry, including its own editors, writers, and photographers, to deliver you worthwhile advice. The articles are filled with information from legendary fashion designers and beauty experts to show you the best of the latest trends.” – Harper’s Bazaar.

Ladies’ Home Journal

1884-2007 – at Century Past Page

Philadelphia, U.S.

A popular American women’s magazine, published from 1883 to 2016. In 1903 it was the first American magazine to reach one million subscribers.

The Lady’s Own Paper

1866-1872 – Old Magazines PDF

London:

British. “A weekly journal of the court, the drama, fashion, fiction, music.”

Peterson’s Magazine

Vols 13 – 100 (1848-1891)

1842-1897 at Internet Archive (Black & White)

New York

The owners of the ‘Saturday Evening Post’ began publishing ‘The Ladies National Magazine’ in 1842 as a less expensive alternative to the popular magazine ‘Godey’s Lady’s Book’ (also on this webpage). The name was changed in 1855 to ‘Peterson’s Magazine’, and it continued under that title until 1892, ceasing publication in 1898. Vintage Peterson’s magazines pdf.

Suburban Life; the Countryside Magazines

Jun 1905 Jan-Dec 1906 Jan-Jun 1907

Jul-Dec 1907 Jan-Jun 1908 Jul 1908-Jun 1909

Jul-Dec 1909 Jul-Dec 1910 Jan-Jun 1911

Jul-Dec 1911 Jan-Jun 1912 Jul-Dec 1912

Jan-Jun 1913 Jul-Dec 1913 Jan-Dec 1914

Jan-Dec 1915 Jan-Dec 1916

Harrisburg, PA

A popular lifestyle magazine at the beginning of the 20th century for affluent people who lived – or aspired to live – comfortably outside the city.

More Free Old Magazines Online

From Great Britain

The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine (1853-1863)

Better Homes and Gardens (1940-1963)

The Ladies’ Companion (1834-1844)

McCall’s (1897-1961)

Pictorial Review (1899-1928)

Woman’s Home Companion (1903-1928)