Godey's Lady's Book facts for kids
Godey's Lady's Book was a popular American magazine for women. It was published in Philadelphia from 1830 to 1878. Before the American Civil War, it was the most widely read magazine in the country. Its number of readers grew from 70,000 in the 1840s to 150,000 by 1860. In the 1860s, Godey's was known as the "queen of monthlies."
About the Magazine
The magazine was published by Louis Antoine Godey in Philadelphia for 48 years. Godey wanted to create a magazine like the popular "gift books" that many women enjoyed. Each issue featured poetry, articles, and beautiful pictures called engravings. These were made by famous writers and artists of the time.
Sarah Josepha Hale became the magazine's editor in 1837 and stayed until 1877. She was also the author of the famous poem "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Hale made sure that only original American writings were published in the magazine. Even though both men and women read the magazine and wrote for it, Hale published three special issues that only included work by women.
When Hale started, Godey's had 10,000 subscribers. Two years later, it had 40,000, and by 1860, it reached 150,000 subscribers.
In 1845, Louis Godey started copyrighting each issue. This was done to stop other magazines and newspapers from copying their articles. This was a new idea in America and some editors, like those at the Baltimore Saturday Visiter, didn't like it. They called it a "selfish" act.
The magazine was quite expensive for its time. Subscribers paid $3 per year, while other magazines like The Saturday Evening Post cost only $2. Despite the cost, it was the most popular magazine of its day.
Under Sarah Hale's leadership, Godey's became very influential. Hale used her position to support different causes for women. For example, starting in 1852, she created a section called "Employment for Women." This section discussed jobs and opportunities for women in the workforce.
Louis Godey generally avoided talking about politics or other sensitive topics in his magazine. During the American Civil War, he decided the magazine would not take a side. In fact, the magazine didn't mention the war at all. Because of this, readers looked elsewhere for war news, and Godey's lost about one-third of its subscribers.
Godey sold the magazine in 1877, a year before he passed away. After a few more changes in ownership and a name change to "Godey's Magazine," it stopped being published in 1896.
What Was Inside?
Godey's Lady's Book is most famous for its hand-colored fashion plates. These were pictures of the latest clothing styles that appeared at the beginning of each issue. They show how women's dress changed over time. Louis Godey proudly stated that in 1859, it cost $105,200 to make the Lady's Book. Coloring the fashion plates alone cost $8,000.
Starting in 1853, almost every issue also included a picture and a pattern for a garment that could be sewn at home. There was also a sheet of music for the piano, featuring the newest waltz, polka, or galop.
Many famous writers contributed to Godey's. Edgar Allan Poe had one of his first short stories, "The Visionary," published in 1834. He also published other works there, including "A Tale of the Ragged Mountains" (1844) and "The Cask of Amontillado" (1846). Other well-known writers included Nathaniel Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Washington Irving.
How It Influenced People
Sarah Hale used her role as editor to support many important causes. She used the magazine to encourage the education of women. Some of her articles taught writing skills and suggested reading lists similar to those for college students. She wrote about schools that accepted women and praised Vassar College, which opened in 1865. She even helped raise money for it. Hale believed that women should have an education similar to men's. She also thought more jobs, like medicine, should be open to women.
Hale also used her influence to push for a national Thanksgiving holiday. She wrote many appealing articles in her magazine. These articles described foods and recipes that are now thought of as typical Thanksgiving dishes, like roasted turkeys and pumpkin pies. In 1858, Hale asked President James Buchanan to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday.
The magazine also presented Queen Victoria as a role model for women. Godey's hired Lydia Sigourney to report on the queen's activities in London. The tradition of a white wedding dress is often linked to Queen Victoria. She wore a white dress for her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. American women started to follow this style. Less than ten years after the queen's wedding, Godey's incorrectly said that white wedding gowns had always been a tradition. They claimed white represented purity. However, before Victoria's wedding, brides usually wore colorful dresses.
In December 1850, Godey's published a woodcut picture of the British Royal family with their Christmas tree at Windsor Castle. This picture was based on an earlier image of Queen Victoria and her decorated tree from The Illustrated London News in 1848. The Godey's version changed the picture to make it look more American. It removed Victoria's crown and Prince Albert's mustache. This was the first widely seen picture of a decorated evergreen Christmas tree in America. Historians say it was very important in making Christmas trees popular in American homes. By the 1870s, having a Christmas tree had become common in the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Godey's Lady's Book para niños
