Old magazine articles and newspaper articles free. From popular magazines and newspapers, published in the early 20th century. Many topics.
A Bicycle Era
The history of the various designs of the bicycle during the 19th century until 1881.
Harper’s magazine. v.63 June-Nov. 1881, page 281
A University that Runs a State
How Wisconsin’s state university writes many of its laws, directs much of its public service, increases its crops, makes better farmers and housewives, conducts correspondence courses, and carries a college education to the door of every citizen who wants it
The World’s Work v.25 1912-1913, page 699.
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A Young Girl’s Dress in Society
2nd of 4 papers on the theme: “The Well-Bred Girl in Society”. This paper contains advice under the following headings: “Distinguishing Marks of Good Dress, When to Wear Low-cut Gowns, The Question of Gloves and Bonnets, Artifices of the Toilet, Young Girls and Jewels, Use of Scent and Flowers”
Mrs. Burton Harrison, The Ladies’ Home Journal. v.10 1892-1893, page 8. HathiTrust
Topics of the Day – December 4, 1915
Current issues of December 1915, covered by a leading news magazine.
The Literary Digest 1915
Your Daughter’s Career
All about the profession of nursing in the U.S.
Sarah Comstock, Good Housekeeping 1915
Airplane Passenger Service of Today – 1919
During the war all air-planes were talked of in terms of speed, climbing ability, maneuverability, bomb-carrying capacity, armament,and other expressions of warlike intentions. But today, with the great war at an end, all thoughts are being directed toward passenger-carrying, cargo-carrying, and mail service.
Aug 9, 1919 Scientific American magazine, p. 127
Building American Bridges in Mid-Africa
The experience of an engineer in constructing 27 viaducts in the jungles – hunting lions from a hand-car on the railroad. A triumph over English competition in making the last links of the Uganda railway between Victoria Nyanza and the sea.
A. B. Lueder, The World’s Work v.6 1903 May-Oct., page 3657. At HathiTrust
Evolution of the Bicycle
A history of the bicycle up to that time, when it was becoming very popular.
From Cycling for Health and Pleasure, by Luther H. Porter (1890), page 23. HathiTrust
Farthest South; The Dash for the Pole
1st person account by British Lt. Shackleton, polar explorer, of his team’s attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole. Includes many photos.
Earnest Henry Shackleton, McClure’s magazine. v.33 (1909), page 571. HathiTrust
Have the Germans Won the War?
Article written immediately after the war during the period of the Paris peace talks. It emphasizes the ruin that Germany had brought to Europe, and reflects the fear of many of Germany’s victims that the diplomats might finally allow Germany to achieve its goals.
Ernest Hamlin Abbott, The Outlook v.121 1919, page 97. HathiTrust
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Hitch Your Wagon to a Gas Bag; The Next Step in Transportation
The traveler of the future will make the voyage between New York and London in two days. The huge aerial greyhounds, in the form of dirigibles measuring over four city blocks in length and almost ten floors in height, will insure rapid travel between America and Europe under all weather conditions throughout the year. Illustrated.
By Austin C. Lescarboura, The Independent. v.98 Apr.-June 1919, page 358. HathiTrust
Industrial Survey of the Month: The Telephone Girl
A description of the conclusions of a Report by the Department of Labor regarding working conditions, wages, and union organization of female telephone operators around the U.S.
Graham Taylor, The Survey 1910
Joaquin Miller’s Return from the Klondike
A pair of articles includes an introduction and also a 1st person account by Joaquin Miller. The adventures of Miller in the Alaska goldfields. Photos.
Isabel Darling, The American magazine. v.47 1898-1899, page 289. HathiTrust
Life and Work in the Powder-Mills
The dangerous work and the history of the Du Pont gunpowder mills in Delaware. Photos and illustrations.
Cleveland Moffett, McClure’s magazine. v.5 (1895), page 3. HathiTrust
Life in the Klondike Gold Fields. Personal Observations of the Founder of Dawson
Article about the gold-mining experience built from an interview with Joe Ladue, who had recently returned home after 15 years hunting gold in Alaska. Mostly a description of how to get there, what supplies to bring, etc. Photos.
J. Lincoln Steffens, McClure’s magazine. v. 9 (May-Oct. 1897), page 956. HathiTrust
Logging in Northern Wisconsin
1st-person account of a logger’s life by a writer who took a job as a ‘roustabout’ at a sawmill in logging country. Photos & illustrations.
W. H. Stead, The American magazine. v.37 1894, page 496. HathiTrust
Novel Devices for the Office
Brief article describing some of the inventions that were increasing efficiency of office workers.
The World’s Work v.12 (1906), page 7910. HathiTrust
Our Inland Seas
Lots of information about commerce and shipping on the U.S. Great Lakes, with statistics. Photos.
Bessie B. Croffut, The American magazine. v.37 1894, page 713. HathiTrust
Prehistoric Telephone Days
An article rewritten from a speech by Bell to the staff of the U.S. Patent Office. His autobiography, with many photos.
Alexander Graham Bell, in The National Geographic magazine, Vol. XLI, No. 3, March 1922, page 223. Internet Archive
Road Races – East & West
“A study of the road racing classics of the last 12 years and the move to western courses”
Harold T. Mason, The Horseless Age. v.36 1915, page 483. HathiTrust
Running Down Law Breakers by Radio
Describes examples of various ways some police forces were beginning to use radios to help in their work. Photos.
Fred C. Kelly, Popular Radio. v. 1-2 (May-Dec. 1922), page 75. HathiTrust
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Rural Life in England
A somewhat anthropological description of rural English village life. Illustrated.
Edward Porritt, The American magazine. v.38 1894, page 117. HathiTrust
Topics of the Day – December 2, 1916
Current issues of December 1916, covered by a leading news magazine.
The Literary Digest 1916
Saving New Orleans (1927)
“Last to receive the impact of the crest of the heaviest flood that ever swept down the Mississippi will be the levees that half encircle New Orleans. Will they hold?”
L. C. Speers, In American History Told by Contemporaries, ed. by Albert Bushnell Hart and John Gould Gaddis. page 51. HathiTrust
Some Classic Aeronautical Experiments
A reprint of a paper presented by Wilbur Wright in 1901, when he and brother Orville were trying to design the first powered aircraft. Illustrated.
Wilbur Wright, The Aero, May 25, 1909, page 3.
Sports of the Season
The article describes the increasing popularity of outdoor sports, and profiles many of them.
Edmond Picton, The American magazine. v.38 1894, page 293. HathiTrust
Station Life in Australia
A visit to a sheep ranch in the outback.
E. Trowbridge, The American magazine. v.37 1894, page 214. HathiTrust
Student Life in a Great Medical School
The author tries “to paint the medical student as he really is, and show how he lives and studies.”
Dr. J. Howe Adams, The American Magazine, vol. 38, 1894, page 420. HathiTrust
The Automobile of 1916; Prominent Innovations that Distinguish the New Models from their Predecessors
A description of the many innovations occurring in automobile design and production, with detailed illustrations.
Victor W. Pages, M.S.A.E., Scientific American v.114, 1916, page10. HathiTrust
The Cape to Cairo Railway
An overview of the enormously difficult and expensive effort to build a railway the length of Africa. Heavily illustrated.
W. T. Stead, McClure’s magazine. v.13 (1899), page 320. HathiTrust
The Country House
A non-technical architectural review of a variety of country houses in the U.S. Many illustrations.
Donald G. Mitchell, Scribner’s magazine v.8 (1890), page 313. HathiTrust
The Drama of Coal
“Life in the mines where toil and danger make life a stretch of grinding, worrying effort. How the huge output of bituminous coal is torn from the earth and poured into the channels of trade. The coal of train and boat. The romance of a vast industry.” Photos.
Henry Wadsworth, The World’s Work v.12 (1906), page 7894. HathiTrust
The Edge of the Future; Unsolved Problems that Edison is Studying
A brief article, mostly quotes from recent interviews of Thomas Edison.
E. J. Edwards, McClure’s magazine. v.1 (1893), page 37. HathiTrust
The Future of Transatlantic Flight
This article indicates there were high expectations for the future of dirigibles in carrying passengers.
The Literary Digest. v.62 (1919), page 14. HathiTrust
The Great Automobile Race from Paris to Berlin
A report describing the recent long-distance race; one of the earliest. Photos.
Sterling Heilig, The American magazine. v.53 1901-1902 Nov-Apr., page 6 HathiTrust
Will We Talk to the Dead by Radio?
“The first of two remarkable articles that tell how psychic investigators are experimenting with a possible key to another world.”
Hereward Carrington, Popular radio. v. 1-2 (May-Dec. 1922), page 93. HathiTrust
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Articles about US History in the 19th Century
History Articles from Early 20th Century Magazines
Political Articles from Early 20th Century Magazines
Collected Historical Photos of the US