These are the books about magazines on my shelf, several of which you’ll also note are listed as sources at the bottom of article pages on CollectingOldMagazines.com. I thought it might be nice to collect them all on one page.
Every title is linked to a sales page on Amazon.com. Several, if not most, are out of print, and only available as used books from third-party sellers. These are independent booksellers, and not Amazon itself, so be sure to take a look at the seller’s rating and read about the condition of the title carefully. Personally these are research titles for me, so I usually opted for used over new, and the cheaper the better.
I’ll add to the list of books about magazines as I purchase new titles myself. I’m not going to include anything here that I don’t personally own. Enjoy!
Books about Magazines – General:
- The American Magazine by Amy Janello, Brennon Jones (1991)
- American Periodicals: A Collector’s Manual and Reference Guide by Steven Lomazow, M.D. (1996)
– A must for every collector chronicling specific magazine titles from the 18th century through modern times. From the author of Magazine History: A Collector’s Blog.
- Antique Trader Vintage Magazines Price Guide by Richard Russell, Elaine Gross Russell (2005)
— This book can make you money.
- Cover Story by Steven Heller, Louise Fili (1996)
- Front Page: Covers of the Twentieth-Century by Stephane Duperray, Raphaele Vidaling (2003)
— Text and illustrations covering American and European titles from Fortune and Esquire to L’Illustration and with sections on trends such from Pop Art and Norman Rockwell to an extensive collection of Marilyn Monroe covers from around the world.
- The Magazine in America, 1741-1990 by John Tebbel, Mary Ellen Zuckerman (1991)
— Highly recommended. All text.
- Magazines in the Twentieth Century by Theodore Peterson (1964)
— Highly recommended. Mostly text.
- Magazines That Make History: Their Origins, Development, and Influence by Norberto Angeletti, Alberto Oliva (2004)
— A detailed look at 8 American and European titles: TIME, Der Spiegel, LIFE, Paris Match, National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Hola!, People. Very informative on these specific titles.
Books about Magazines — Specific Titles:
- Inside the Hollywood Fan Magazine: A History of Star Makers, Fabricators, and Gossip Mongers by Anthony Slide (2010)
- Life: The First Fifty Years : 1936-1986 by Life Magazine (1987)
- Life Photographers: What They Saw by John Loengard (1998)
- Covers of the Saturday Evening Post: Seventy Years of Outstanding Illustration by Jan Cohn, Joseph Rutt (1998)
— Thumbnail photos of every cover, with the date and naming the cover artist.
- United We Stand: Flying the American Flag by Peter Gwillim Kreitler (2001)
— Slim volume depicting several of the July 1942 magazine covers depicting the American Flag. Just some introductory text and then a photo per page.
Books about Magazines — Advertising:
- Advertising in America: The First Two Hundred Years by Charles A. Goodrum, Helen Dalrymple (1990)
- Advertising Reflections of a Century by Bryan Holme (1985)
- Edsels, Luckies and Frigidaires by Robert Atwan (1979)
- They Laughed When I Sat Down: An Informal History of Advertising in Words and Pictures by Frank Rowsome (1965)
Books about Magazines — Personalities:
- Franchise: A History Of “Sports Illustrated” Magazine by Michael MacCambridge (1997)
- The illustrator in America, 1900-1960’s: Compiled and edited by Walt Reed (1966)
— The cheapest of three editions, from what I read all three include different artists. For every illustrator included there is a brief bio, and example of their signature, and some examples of their work.
- J.C. Leyendecker by Lawrence S. and Judy Goffman Cutler (2008)
- Henry R. Luce and the Rise of the American News Media by James L. Baughman (2001)
- Reformer in the Marketplace: Edward W. Bok and the Ladies’ Home Journal by Salme Harju Steinberg (1979)
