Women's Magazines: The First 300 Years

by Brian Braithwaite

In this historical guide to the British magazine industry, Brian Braithwaite charts its successes and failures from the seventeenth century to today. From high society and haute couture to cooking, home furnishing, health, sex and relationships, the titles themselves embrace a wealth of subjects and witness continual reinvention in an industry that never stands still. In 1693 the first-ever women's magazine, the Ladies Mercury, was launched by a London bookseller. The story of the magazines is brought up to the early 1990s. Brian Braithwaite was the founder publisher of Harpers & Queen and worked for many years as the Publishing Director of Good Housekeeping. In 1992 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Periodical Publishers Association.

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995