Monday 2 November 2009

Are these the seven most influential British magazines of all time?

Brian Braithwaite, a former diretor of Nat Mags, has a new book out on magazine and newspaper publishing, called ' The Press Book', in which he looks at the history of British print media and its uncertain future in the digital age.
In his book, Braithwaite, founder-publisher of Harpers & Queen, Country Living and Cosmopolitan, names the seven most important UK magazines of all time. His choices are:
The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine, 1852. The EDM was launched by Samuel Beeton, husband of Mrs. Beeton. It is seen as being the first popular women's magazine aimed at the housewife. Within three years it was selling 50,000 copies.
Punch, 1841. Braithwaite says: "What a survivor through the years. ..This was a humorous magazine managed over the years by a series of famous editors."
The Economist, 1843."An august journal which has always set a benchmark in the financial world and which since the Second World War has considerably extended its global influence...It represents the gold standard in serious magazine publishing."
Country Life, 1906. "This is the glossy's glossy, representing a golden lifestyle of magnificent country houses and agricultural prosperity."
Picture Post, 1938. "It brought a polished realism to photo-journalism...It's closure left a gap that has never been filled."
Private Eye, 1961. "Vulgar, schoolboyish, scatological, impish, iconoclastic - there has to be such a magazine, and Private Eye stands alone."
Radio Times, 1923. ""A British classic for eighty-five years which has stood the test of time and weathered broadcasting upheavals...Reliable, readable and authorative."
The Press Book: Adventures and Misadventures in Print Media by Brian Braithwaite is published by Peter Owen Publishers ,73 Kenway Road London SW5 0RE . Price £12.99. admin@peterowen.com www.peterowen.com

No comments: