The Geography of the Ladies' Home Journal

Abstract

This article argues that geography played an important role in shaping the readership of the Ladies’ Home Journal in the early and mid-twentieth century. It draws upon circulation records of Curtis Publishing Company and the Audit Bureau of Circulations, using them to map state distribution of the Journal in six periods from 1911 to 1955. Although the magazine's geographic identity shifted somewhat during that period, it showed a clear split between the South and the rest of the country. In exploring readership patterns, the article argues that the Journal provided an important cultural tie between West and East while the South, in large part, remained isolated. This suggests researchers must begin to see magazine audiences in regional terms, just as they do forms of fiction writing, social interaction, and ways of life.