Godey's Lady's Book

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Cover from an 1850 issue of Godey's Lady's Book.
Cover from an 1850 issue of Godey's Lady's Book.

Godey's Lady's Book, alternatively known as Godey's Magazine and Lady's Book, was a popular United States magazine among women during the 19th century. In the 1860s Godey's considered itself the "queen of monthlies."

Contents

[edit] Overview

The magazine was published by Louis A. Godey from Philadelphia for 48 years (1830–1878) (it was published by someone else after Godey died). Godey intended to take advantage of the popularity of gift books, many of which were marketed specifically to women.[1] Each issue contained poetry, articles, and engravings created by prominent writers and other artists of the time. Sarah Josepha Hale (author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb") was its editor from 1837 until 1877 and only published original, American manuscripts. Although the magazine contained work by both males and females, Hale published three special issues which only included work done by women.

In 1845, Louis Godey began copyrighting each issue of the magazine to prevent other magazine and newspaper editors from pirating their texts. This move, a first in America, was criticized by editors at the Baltimore Saturday Visiter. They called it a "narrowly selfish course" and that Godey would "rue it bitterly."[2]

The magazine was expensive; subscribers paid $3 per year (for comparison, The Saturday Evening Post was only $2 per year).[3] Even so, it was the most popular journal in its day.[4] Under Hale's editorship, the list of subscribers to Godey's reached 150,000.[5] It is best known for the hand-tinted fashion plate that appeared at the start of each issue, which provide a record of the progression of women's dress. Publisher Louis Godey showed off that in 1859, it cost $105,200 to produce the Lady's Book, with the coloring of the fashion-plates costing $8,000.[6] Almost every issue also included an illustration and pattern with measurements for a garment to be sewn at home. A sheet of music for piano provided the latest waltz, polka or galop.

Edgar Allan Poe had one of his earliest short stories "The Visionary" (later renamed "The Assignation") printed in Godey's in 1834. In 1844, he published several other works: "A Tale of the Ragged Mountains" (April), "The Oblong Box" (September), and "Thou Art the Man" (November).[7] Other contributors included Nathaniel Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Washington Irving, James K. Paulding, William Gilmore Simms, and Nathaniel Parker Willis.[8]

Godey sold the magazine in 1877 before his death in 1878.[9]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Pattee, Fred Lewis. The First Century of American Literature: 1770–1870. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1966. p. 392.
  2. ^ Moss, Sidney P. Poe's Literary Battles: The Critic in the Context of His Literary Milieu. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1962. p. 23
  3. ^ Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. The Literary History of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1906. p. 239
  4. ^ Reynolds, David F. "Poe's Art of Transformation: 'The Cask of Amontillado' in Its Cultural Context," as collected in The American Novel: New Essays on Poe's Major Tales, Kenneth Silverman, ed. Cambridge University Press, 1993. ISBN 0521422433 p. 101
  5. ^ Pattee, Fred Lewis. The First Century of American Literature: 1770–1870. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1966. p. 495.
  6. ^ Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. The Literary History of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1906. p. 232
  7. ^ Sova, Dawn B. Edgar Allan Poe: A to Z. Checkmark Books, 2001.
  8. ^ Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. The Literary History of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1906. p. 231
  9. ^ Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. The Literary History of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1906. p. 231

[edit] External links