Pulp Magazines: A Cultural History – Timeline

The history of magazine publishing is complex. There is a great deal of variance in records, definitions, and resources due to the size and scope of this history. I am in the process of assembling a timeline to use in my personal research, as well as to share in the course that I will teach. Much of what is listed here needs further explanation. Like any timeline, however, it will serve as an adequate starting point. 

1663 – world’s first magazine – Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen (tr. “Edifying Monthly Discussions”)

1704 – first English language magazine in London – Review – publisher was Daniel DeFoe  

1731 – The Gentleman’s Magazine published by Edward Cave in England. 1st use of “magazine” 

1739 – The Scots Magazine begins – today remains the oldest consumer magazine in print.

1741 – American Magazine – first U.S. magazine 

1741 – Ben Franklin’s General Magazine – 3 days after rival Bradford’s American Magazine

1770 – The Lady’s Magazine – 1^st  women’s magazine starts –  literary & fashion content

1796 –Alois Senefelder develops lithography to produce high-quality printed images (Germany).

1821 – The Saturday Evening Post – 1^st successful magazine in America was founded

1825 – fewer than 100 magazines in the U.S. –  more than 600 by 1850 –  established as mass medium

1840 – Graham’s Magazine – a nineteenth-century periodical based in Philadelphia established

1841 – Edgar Allan Poe became the editor of Graham's

1841 – Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” in Graham's – recognized as the first detective story

1843 – wood-grinding machine invented to create ground wood pulp that can be used to make paper

1843 – The Economist begins examining news, politics, business, science, and the arts.

1850 – Harper’s Magazine made its – oldest general-interest monthly in America

1850 – Number of magazines published in the U. S. reaches 685.

1854 – chemical treatment to make wood pulp for paper making patented

1855 – Street & Smith founded

1857 – The Atlantic Monthly – founders include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes

1863 – postage rates created for first-, second-, and third-class mail

1864 – American News Company began – magazine, newspaper, book, (and comic book) distribution

1867 – Federal Department of Education began

1870 – Scribner's Monthly: An Illustrated Magazine for the People – American literary periodical

1879 – 3 classes of mail reorganized – magazines now have same low postage cost as newspapers.

1882 – Frank A. Munsey moves to NY from Maine – 1^st  issue of Golden Argosy published less than 3 months later. 

1883 – Life – American magazine similar to Puck – 1883-1936 published as humor & general interest

1885 – The Engraver and Printer – a house journal for the Boston Photogravure Company.

1886 – Cosmopolitan launched in U. S. as family magazine – later literary & eventually women's magazine in the late 1960s.

1887 – Sherlock Holmes makes first appearance in Beeton’s Christmas Annual with “A Study in Scarlet”

1888 – National Geographic Magazine – 9 months after start of National Geographic Society

1890 – 4,400 magazines with 18 million circulation in the U. S.

1890 – Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray published in Lippincott’s Magazine (book a year later)

1890 – Short Stories was an American fiction magazine that existed between 1890 and 1959.

1891 – The Strand magazine – a monthly in UK & US begins – 1^st publishes Sherlock Holmes, “A Scandal in Bohemia” in July, 1891.

1892 – Four color rotary press

1893 – 20,000 readers cancel their subscriptions to Strand Magazine when Sherlock Holmes is killed off in “The Final Problem.” Conan Doyle relented in 1902 bringing back the detective hero in “The Adventure of the Empty House.”

1893 – Frank Munsey cuts price of Munsey’s Magazine to 10¢ and the cost of subscriptions to $1.00 to boost sales and seek profits from advertising revenue rather than copy sales.

1893 – The Engraver and Printer publishes color halftone.

1895 – Collier’s weekly magazine starts and is published until 1957.

1896 – First “pulp” magazine published by Munsey – The Argosy. Prior to WWI, The Argosy had several notable writers, including Upton Sinclair and Zane Grey

1898 – New York State passes law against misleading advertising

1898 – Ladies’ Home Journal owner Cyrus H. Curtis buys Saturday Evening Post and relaunches it as an illustrated journal

1900 – more than 5,000 magazines now in the U.S.

1900 – Price of “chemical” wood pulp $36/ton – down from $344/ton in 1866

1903 – Street & Smith had started a boys' periodical, The Popular Magazine, but seeing it was not reaching its market they revamped its content, doubled its page count, and converted it to an all-adventure pulp from Feb. 1904, making it the first direct rival to The Argosy.

1905 – post office refined the rules that defined which publications would be recognized as magazines to eliminate such abuses as passing off one-time advertising circulars or books as magazines and qualifying for reduced rates. Magazines must now have a known office address, consecutive numbering, a date of issue, an editorial focus such as literature, science, etc., and be assembled from printed sheets without heavy covers or binding. 

1905 – All-Story Magazine started by Munsey (Jan. 1905). Edgar Rice Burroughs was first published in All-Story. Other All-Story writers Rex Stout, Mary Roberts Rinehart, and Max Brand.

1905 – The Monthly Story Magazine started by Story-Press Corporation (May 1905).

1906 – The Monthly Story Magazine becomes The Monthly Story Blue Book Magazine. For the next 45 years (May 1907 to January 1952), it was known as The Blue Book Magazine, Blue Book Magazine, Blue Book, and Blue Book of Fiction and Adventure.

1908 – The Cavalier was published by the Frank Munsey Co. between 1908 and 1914.

1910 – Adventure magazine – an American pulp magazine that was first published in November 1910 by the Ridgway company, an offshoot of the Butterick Publishing Company.

1912 – Photoplay – first magazine for movie fans

1914 – The Gentleman’s Magazine ceases publication

1919 – Under editor George Horace Lorimer, The Saturday Evening Post publishes a 200-page issue with 111 pages of advertising. The publication was selling more than a million copies a week with high-profile authors and Norman Rockwell’s covers.

1919 – Western Story Magazine was a pulp magazine published by Street & Smith, which ran from 1919 to 1949.  It was the first of numerous pulp magazines devoted to Western fiction. In its heyday Western Story Magazine was one of the most successful pulp magazines; in 1921 the magazine was selling over half a million copies each issue.

1920 – Black Mask Magazine –a pulp magazine launched in 1920 by journalist H. L. Mencken and drama critic George Jean Nathan

1921 – Love Story Magazine, the first romantic fiction pulp, began in May of 1921 and soon became the best selling pulp magazine for Street & Smith publishers.

1922 – Reader’s Digest begins publishing. 

1923 – Time – first U.S. news magazine started by Henry Luce

1923 – Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published

1926 – Amazing Stories launched by Luxembourg-born Hugo Gernsback, one of the pioneers of science fiction in the U.S. His name lives on in the annual Hugo Awards. 

1926 – Street & Smith changed their distribution from the American News Company to the Chelsea News Company (a collection of independent distributors organized by Street & Smith and organized as a subsidiary) – note: the exact date is uncertain and may have been as late as 1930.

1927 – Final Sherlock Holmes story, “Shoscombe Old Place,” published in the April issue of the Strand Magazine.

1928 – Daisy Bacon becomes editor of Street & Smith’s Love Story Magazine (January, 1928) and remained in the position for 22 years.

1928 – Flying Aces – one of so-called "flying pulp" magazines, popular during the 1920s &  1930s

1929 – Wonder Stories –  early US science fiction magazine published under several titles (1929- 1955)

1930 – The Times (London) carries its first crossword puzzle.

1930 – Oriental Stories, later The Magic Carpet Magazine, pulp 1930-34, offshoot of Weird Tales.

1931 – Dime Detective – most popular of Popular Publication's line of detective pulps and one of the company's longest surviving titles.

1933 – Newsweek begins publication

1933 – Esquire is the first men’s magazine

1934 – Spicy Detective – Published by Culture Publications.

1935 – Horror Stories – US pulp magazine –  published tales of the supernatural, horror, & macabre.

1936 – Life magazine – Time founder Henry Luce bought in 1936 solely for its name

1937 – The Saturday Evening Post – 3 million circulation – the largest in the U.S.

1937 – Look – bi-weekly, general interest and photojournalism magazine starts and continues to 1971

1939 – Planet Stories – US pulp science fiction magazine, published by Fiction House (1939-1955)

1939 – Startling Stories – US pulp science fiction magazine, Ned Pines' Standard Magazines (1939-1955)

1939 – Unknown (also known as Unknown Worlds) -- US pulp fantasy fiction magazine,  S&S ’39-‘43

1944 – Seventeen – first magazine devoted to adolescents

1946 – More than 200 mass-oriented magazine launched in U.S.

1949 – “The Day the Pulps Died” – April 8, 1949 – S&Smith announced it would stop publishing its pulps

1950 – Strand Magazine, famous for first publishing most of the Sherlock Holmes stories closed.

1953 – TV Guide begins publication with distribution in 10 cities with a circulation of 1,560,000

1953 – Playboy – Monroe on the cover and famous nude calendar shot inside.

1954 – Sports Illustrated launched by Time-Life.

"Pulp"? What's Dat?

What comes to your mind when you hear “pulp fiction,” “pulp magazine,” or “the pulps”? In today’s Pop Culture, the use of the term “pulp” goes far beyond its original meaning. The Quentin Tarantino movie, Pulp Fiction (1994), might very well have been the source of 

today’s usage. But Pulp Fiction was more homage to film history than a nod to the publishing history that it borrows the word “pulp” from.  The release of Tarantino’s flick was nearly 20 years ago and may rapidly be becoming an obscure point of reference.

Nearly 30 years ago, some efforts were made to bring back The Black Mask magazine – it was a weak attempt to capitalize on the title of a classic “pulp” magazine. At the same time Vintage Books (imprint of Random House, Inc.) had reprinted some of the classic stories from that magazine. The strength of this literary canon must have much more to do with breeding familiarity with the term “pulp fiction” – at least for the audience that it reached.

My recognition of the use of the term, “pulp” to describe a variety of literary styles and a magazine format, goes much further back. By the time that I would have been aware of the “pulps” back in the 1950s that period in publishing history had pretty much run its course. The economic growth of the post-World War II era, the growth of the movie industry, the increase in paperback book sales, and the beginnings of television represent a symphony to the demise of the “pulp” magazine era. Yet somehow these descriptive phrases are embedded in my knowledge base.

SO, WHAT IS PULP, REALLY?

So, we might ask about the term “pulp” – what does it mean? And, how did it come to be used in this context?  The term “pulp”, like “noir” in film, has evolved to have a more generic meaning than its literal origins.

The making of paper dates back to China around 105 AD. Paper was originally made from rags and later bamboo fiber broken down with lye. Over the centuries, the art and technique of making paper has evolved. Raw materials varied regionally with rags being the most common source of fiber. Challenges came from the quality of the raw materials, the pulping process, and surface treatments that improved strength and finish.

 It was during the 19^th century when the papermaking industry finally came of age. In 1843 a wood-grinding machine that produced ground wood pulp suitable for papermaking was invented.  It took well over a thousand years before papermaking could be done cheaply and efficiently by machine. Another milestone was achieved in 1854 when an alternative method, using chemical pulp to make paper was patented.

MAGAZINES FOR EVERYONE

Late in the 19^th century, magazine publishing was being refined, evolving from newspapers to story sheets to dime novels to magazines that were cut and trimmed similar to what we know today.  Also during this same time period, advances in education and literacy were taking place. A Federal Department of Education was founded in 1867. At the beginning of the 20^th century, roughly half the population between the ages of 5 and 19 were enrolled in school – by 1940, that figure had jumped to 75 percent.

Along with the development of papermaking, advances in magazine publishing are related to improved distribution.  In 1863, postage rates were streamlined into first-, second-, and third-class rates, and in 1879, the three classes of mail were reorganized so that magazines now enjoyed the same low postage cost as newspapers. The highest magazine circulations climbed from 40,000 before the Civil War to 100,000 by the end of the century.

In 1905, the post office refined the rules that defined which publications would be recognized as magazines to eliminate such abuses as passing off one-time advertising circulars or books as magazines and qualifying for reduced rates. Magazines must now have a known office address, consecutive numbering, a date of issue, an editorial focus such as literature, science, etc., and be assembled from printed sheets without heavy covers or binding.

INNOVATION HITS TOWN

Frank A. Munsey had been a telegraph operator in Augusta, Maine prior to moving to New York City in 1882 at the age of 28. He was determined to get into the publishing business and produced his first magazine, Golden Argosy, less than 3 months after his arrival in the big city. Under financed, but determined, Munsey managed to stay in publishing and quickly learned and developed his business.

Munsey’s original idea had been to publish his magazine for young readers but realized that, as his target market aged, there was a continuing need to develop new readers. In 1888 he changed the name of the magazine to The Argosy in an effort to attract more mature readers that might continue to purchase his magazine for a longer time. In 1889 he started Munsey’s Magazine to diversify and appeal to a different audience. Munsey’s ability to innovate was well documented in 1896 when he adapted a new form of low-cost wood pulp paper for the publication of The Argosy magazine.

Munsey is credited with being the first to use new high-speed printing presses to print on inexpensive, untrimmed, pulp paper in order to mass-produce affordable magazines. These are what became known as “pulp” magazines. They contained a variety of literary genres – action and adventure fiction set in all kinds of settings – western and ranch, desert and jungle, space and urban, high-seas and railroads. There were heroes of all kinds – foreign legion, sports, lawmen, concerned citizens, newspapermen, scientists, politicians, and detectives. This was literature written and published for the common man, a new literate reader who was intelligent yet humble, the housewife, the working class, and the professional. It was literature as entertainment for all.

“PULPS” TODAY

Today the usage of the term “pulp” has lost its roots but references literary practices that were established during the era of the “pulp” magazines – simplistic interpretations of right and wrong, strong decisive heroes, the willingness to make sacrifices to get to the source of evil, the strength to resist corruption, the value of principle over the temptations of money and power, respect for the weak provided they share a moral high-ground, gritty dialogue, and down and dirty action. 

How I became interested in the “Pulps”

WHAT IS "PULP"?

The “Pulps” refer to a huge number of magazines published from the late 19^th century 

through the 1950s. The term originates from the use of low-grade paper made from wood pulp rather than from the traditional cotton and linen fibers.  It dries more quickly, turns yellow and becomes brittle – thus, it has a much shorter lifespan.  This lower quality paper, although it might be perceived as less desirable for publishing “artistic" literature, provided an outlet for more experimental writing styles and expanded the market for literature. It allowed literature to become accessible beyond the conservative confines of the upper classes.

Growing up in a working class neighborhood, in a working class city, bookstores were often considered beyond people’s means. Libraries were the primary reading resource. However, libraries have always been subject to their own limitations – public policy and budget restraints for example. So, there is economic filtering of knowledge and ideas.

 The incubation of ideas and the growth of knowledge are held back by a conservative educational system and the limitations that a market economy has to respond to disparate demand. Our social structure is based on a market system that gravitates toward providing the least common denominator, and values education that consolidates knowledge. This limits demand for a broader spectrum of ideas.

Back in the 19^th century, however, the demand for education was growing quickly along with a society that was not defined by mass communication. The country was under pressure to fill up the vast amount of space that was available between the oceans. The push was rapid and chaotic at first, but then began to call out for order. Towns popped up and with them the need for civic responsibility – government and education were treated with great respect. Ideals stemmed from population “melting pots” that had come to rest at a particular location. Local civic values were based on need and those who came forward as leaders did so from a variety of backgrounds.

As this growth occurred, the need for diversion or entertainment was also growing. These experiences provided great tales of adventure and daring that became the focus of an increasing demand for resources both for the purpose of learning and for entertainment. 

The lessons learned from our rapid growth would be the basis for further growth, and the adventures of those who were leading us forward were very compelling tales. So, the demand for magazines that were affordable to a growing reading public seemed to have blossomed from the confluence of population growth, increased literacy, and the promise of a bright future for all. The “American Dream” was taking shape!

THE BRIDGE TO NOW

Imagine, if you will, growing up in a quiet, urban residential neighborhood that is populated by working class families, living on shady tree-lined streets of mixed single and double family dwellings. Windows are open in the summertime allowing the sounds of life to surround you – the calm being interrupted occasionally by street merchants calling out – the ragman, the knife sharpener, bread and milk deliveries. Supermarkets are rare and “mom & pop” markets – green grocers and butcher shops  –  are the common source of food purchases. Streets are populated with children of all ages playing on tricycles, bicycles, scooters, and wagons while older kids are intensely occupied in street games. Traffic is light on these streets and there is very little to threaten the idyllic community. It was sort of like the movie Pleasantville, but less cynical.

This was a simple world for young men like myself. In the late 1940s and the 1950s of 

post-war America, we were not so bombarded with commercial television – we simply did not have TV. When television began to appear in our homes, years went by before there were more than a handful of channels and no color until the 1960s.  Men, who were not sinister, wore fedoras – only boys wore ballcaps, and nobody wore their hat in the house.  We read the newspaper for news. We listened to the radio for sports and entertainment. If we were interested in expanding our horizons, we looked to the library. If we had any pocket money, there was a small sundry store on the corner that sold candy, soda pop, comic books and the dwindling offerings of what was once a booming magazine industry. 

By the late 40s and the 50s, the “pulp” magazine industry was being pushed aside by a growing paperback novel industry. It was a publishing phenomenon that had run its course – from roots that included story sheets to dime novels to magazines with inviting color covers and exciting content. There were still some colorful and alluring covers to be seen on racks of our neighborhood stores but  things change and, by this time, the term “pulps” had become synonymous with western heroes, hard-boiled detectives, bizarre creatures from space, and movie romance.

Well into my teens by the 1960s, I loved sitting with my father at the kitchen table in the evening reading mystery novels together. Mostly we got our books from the library, although a full set of Dickens occupied an honored place in our home.  There were no routine book purchases in our house, but I remember having seen sexy paperback book covers in the houses of friends. Dad had studied literature in college, gone on to a law degree and retained a love of reading all his life. He always subscribed to The Saturday Review of Literature and Norman Cousins was as familiar in our house as any of the sports heroes of the time. Dad was somewhat of a literary elitist but the times were changing.

Years later, after military service, college, and beginning to raise a family, I found myself naturally drawn to the book industry. As a bookseller, publisher’s representative, and marketing professional, there were many paths to inviting distraction yet never enough time to define and explore personal interests.  Now, in retirement, opportunities to explore beyond previous horizons abound. Finding a passion for some of the history of our literary culture is a glorious experience. What was little more than a peripheral familiarity with the magazine industry has become a new-found passion.

The importance of Edgar Allan Poe as the author of the first detective fiction was known, but how did this come about? And, how did it become significant? Ned Buntline’s romantic tales of

the wild-west were fresh in the minds of my parent’s generation. How did Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley get from humble individuals living in the west to international stardom? Elderly neighbors had firsthand stories of Indians that they had known.  There were neighborhood parents, brothers, cousins, and friends with tales of their experiences in World War II and Korea.  How did sports become so important to both our culture and our economy? Reading those detective and mystery yarns alongside my dad and the experience of being in the book

trade during a revitalized look at writings contained in TheBlack Mask magazine have provided me with a sense of nostalgia for this literary tradition.

The passing of the Eighteenth Amendment that prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages followed by the Great Depression created a backdrop for profound cultural change during the early 20^th century.  At the same time, the “Pulps” were experiencing their peak years. This correlation was not an accident. The writing in these magazines, although not always high art, reflected and articulated the era with uncanny accuracy. Each new idea that arises from reading and thinking about this period results in some kind of discovery that seems more profound than it ought to be, and it becomes clearer every day that we have neglected the significance that this part of our literary history has had on our culture.