Analyzing a Magazine (Good Housekeeping)

1. Even from the title, you can tell that this magazine is directed towards women but as you look at the ads you can tell that it was targetted towards most ages, economic classes, and intellectual classes. The magazine being about good housekeeping and being 15 cents imply the economic class targetted. While the ads for chocolate and school suggest a younger audience may read this magazine. Most depictions of women seem to be white which shows the implied audience's race.

2. While hardly any data on circulation could be found, a lot of the ads were based in the Northeast of the U.S. which implied a more modernist readership.

3. In the one issue available for viewing, the authors don't seem to repeat but they most likely hold more conservative views based on the topics they are writing about.

4. There is a good mix of advertisement, fictional stories, poems, educational/ instructional passages, and photography but the stories make up the bulk of the magazine. There seems to be a 2 to 1 ration of content to ads respectively and there doesn't seem to be any heavy social issues discussed besides women's education. Even then, it is in an advertisement with a light tone and asks whether women should be educated to be better housewives. 

5. James Eaton Tower edited this issue but no further issues can be checked. A quick search only lead back to this exact issues of the magazine.

6. Issues can't be compared for aforementioned reasons, but the magazine consists of lots of images that have eye-catching shapes which could appeal to youger audeinces. The bright colors on the cover and smiling woman sets a light-hearted tone that fits the magazine. An abundance of photographs further the idea that the magazine is partly informational. 

7. History or public view is not readily available, but according to Lifetime "on May 2, 1885, the first issue of Good Housekeeping magazine was published" (Rosenberg).

8. The Good Housekeeping magazine targets women of all ages, economic status, and even educational level but a white emphasis is apparent. A sufficient number of ads is used to fund the magazine and these ads help suggests the target audience. History, public view, and information on the editor aren't readily available but the simple nature of the magazine doesn't hide much. Content in the magazine includes fictional stories, poems, ads, photography, and informational passages on housekeeping. All of these content items work together to appeal to its target audience and set a tone for future Good Housekeeping magazines.

Source(s)

Tower, James Eaton. Good Housekeeping, 1 August 1910.

Rosenberg, S., 2018. May 2, 1885: The First Issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine Was Published.           [online] Lifetime. Available at: <https://www.mylifetime.com/she-did-that/may-2-1885-the-first-issue-         of-good-housekeeping-magazine-was-published> [Accessed 9 September 2021].