Though magazines date from the early sixteenth
century, it was not until the nineteenth century, with the rise of
middle-class leisure reading, high-volume printing technology, and
discretionary spending capabilities, that they became enormously popular.
So popular, in fact, that thousands upon thousands of titles were
published in Victorian England and America. Among the most avidly
read were women's magazines. They provided opportunities for women
to publish articles and short stories; relayed up-to-date information
about the house and home (they were the first to urge consumer testing
and standards); and illustrated the latest fashions. In the history
of American women's fashion magazines who can fail to remember names
like Godey's and Peterson's which changed and improved
the lives of many American women?
The same can be said about Harper's Bazaar,
Vanity Fair, and Vogue - the three most important American
women's literary-fashion magazines of the early twentieth century,
many volumes of which are in Special Collections & Archives. This
extensive collection was bequeathed to the George Mason University
by the estate of Jane Nierling. The copies are especially worthwhile
because they have not been bound, so the original covers - illustrated
by many of the foremost artists of the period - have been retained.
They are now available for study and research by students in women's
studies, cultural studies, American history, literature and design.
Harper's Bazaar - - 1913 - 1956
1913, 48:1, 3-6 (box 1)
1914, 49:1-12 (box 2)
1915, 50:1-12 (box 3)
1916, 51:1-2, 4-12 (box 4)
1917, 52:1-12 (box 5)
1918, 53:1, 3-7, 9-12 (box 6)
1919, 54:1-4, 6-10, 12 (box 7)
1920, 55:5-9, 11 (box 8)
1921, 56:1, 3-7, 9-12 (box 9)
1922, 57:1-4 (box 10)
1930, 64:8 (box 10)
1932, 66:7 (box 10)
1933, 67:8 (box 10)
1934, 68:8 (box 10)
1936, 70:12 (box 10)
1937, 71:1, 4-8, 10-12 (boxes 11, 12)
1938, 72:1-2, 4-6, 9-14 (boxes 13, 14)
1939, 73:1-14 (boxes 15, 16)
1940, 74:1-4, 6-14 (boxes 17, 18)
1941, 75:1-14 (boxes 19, 20)
1942, 76:1-6, 8-13 (boxes 21, 22)
1943, 77:1-12 boxes (23, 24, 25)
1944, 78:1-6 (box 26)
1945, 79:4, 11, 12 (box 27)
1946, 80:1-3, 7, 12 (box 28) 1
947, 81:1-2, 6-8, 11-12 (box 29)
1948, 82:1-5 (box 30)
1949, 83:9-10 (box 30)
1953, 87:1-5, 7-8, 11-12 (boxes 31, 32)
1954, 88:1-4, 6, 8-12 (box 33)
1955, 89:1-6, 8-9 (box 34)
1956, 90:5 (box 34)
Vanity Fair - - 1913 - 1922
1913, 1:2-4 (box 35)
1914, 1:5-6; 2:1-6; 3:1-4 (box 36)
1915, 3:5-6; 4:1-6; 5:1-4 (boxes 37, 38)
1916, 5:5-6; 6:1-6; 7:1-4 (boxes 39, 40)
1917, 7:5-6; 8:1-6; 9:1-4 (boxes 41, 42)
1918, 9:5-6; 10:1-6; 11:1-4 (box 43)
1919, 11:6-7; 12:2-6; 13:1-3 (box 44)
1920, 13:5-6; 14:1-5; 15:14 (box 45)
1921, 15:5-6; 16:1-6; 17:1-4 (box 46)
1922, 17:5-6; 18:1-2, 4, 6 (box 47)
Vogue - - 1913 - 1956
1913, 41:7; 42:14, 7-12 (box 48)
1914, 43:1-12; 44:1-12 (boxes 49, 50)
1915, 45:1-4, 6-12; 46:1-12 (boxes 51, 52)
1916, 47:1-12; 48:1-12 (boxes 53, 54, 55)
1917, 49:1-12; 50:1-12 (boxes 55, 56, 57)
1918, 51:1-12; 52:1-12 (boxes 58, 59)
1919, 53:1-12; 54:1-12 (boxes 60, 61, 620
1920, 55:1-12; 56:1-12 (boxes 63, 64, 65)
1921, 57:1-12; 58:1-12 (boxes 66, 67)
1922, 59:1-12; 60:1-12 (boxes 68, 69)
1924, 63:4, 6-11 (box 70)
1925, 66:6 (box 70)
1927, 70:6, 8 (box 71)
1932, 79:7-12; 80:1-12
1933, 81:1-12; 82:1-12
1934, 83:1-7, 9-12; 84:1-12 (boxes 72, 73)
1935, 85:1-12; 86:1-12 (boxes 74, 75)
1936, 87:1-12; 88:1-12 (boxes 76, 77, 78)
1937, 89:1-12; 90:1-12 (boxes 79, 80, 81)
1938, 91:1-12; 92:1-12 (boxes 82, 83)
1939, 93:1-12; 94:1-12 (boxes 84, 85)
1940, 95:1-12; 96:1-12 (boxes 86, 87, 88)
1941, 97:1-12; 98:1-12 (boxes 89, 90)
1942, 99:1-12; 100:1-12 (boxes 91, 92)
1943, 101:1-12; 102:1-5 (boxes 93, 94)
1944, 103:1-11; 104:1-12 (boxes 95, 96)
1945, 105:1-10; 106:1-11 (boxes 97, 98)
1946, 107:1 -11; 108: 1-11 (boxes 99, 100, 101)
1947, 109:1-12; 110:1-11 (boxes 102, 103, 104)
1948, 111:1-10; 112:1-10 (boxes 105, 106,107)
1949, 113:1-10; 114:1-10 (boxes 107, 108, 109)
1950, 115:1-10; 116:1-10 (boxes 110, 111)
1951, 117:1-10; 118:1-3 (boxes 112, 113)
1952, 119:1-10; 120:1-10 (boxes 114, 115)
1953,121: 1-10; 122:1-10 (boxes 116, 117, 118)
1954, 123:1, 3-4, 6-10; 124:1-10 (boxes 119, 120)
1955, 125:1-10; 126:1-10 (boxes 121, 122)
1956, 127:1-3; 128:4-6 (boxes 123)
