Name/Title
"Godey's Lady's Book"Entry/Object ID
2013.7.1Description
Godey's Lady's Book magazine from August 1870. It includes colored illustrations, articles about fashions and needlecraft designs, and various advertisements. The cover and pages are yellowed with black printing. Written by hand on the top of the cover reads, "Delia D. Campbell, Mansfield, Centre, Conn."Context
"Godey's Lady's Book" was a publication for women in circulation from 1830 to 1896. Published in Philadelphia, the magazine was founded by Louis Godey (1804-1878) to profit off books specifically for woman. The magazine did include articles for both men and women, yet the majority were about women's fashion and ideals. Editor Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879) used her influence in the paper to gain traction for many campaigns, such as establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday, allowing white dresses to be the standard for brides at their weddings as inspired by Queen Victoria (1819-1901), and the normalization of trees at Christmas (also inspired by Queen Victoria). As editor, Hale increased subscribers of "Godey's" from 10,000 in 1837 to over 150,000 by 1860. However, Godey's insistence that the magazine be void of all political topics kept any news or information about the Civil War from the publication, resulting in the lost of tens of thousands of subscribers during the war. "Godey's" was the first magazine in America to have copyrighted issues which, while successful, was harshly criticized by other publications.
Although Godey's lacked overtly political articles, Hale's writing influenced the way women acted and thought. While she emphasized the importance of women's education, she was against women's suffrage and felt women should focus on the domestic sphere within their control as well as quietly influencing men within that sphere.
Although today Hale is mostly knownfor her role at Godey's and for her successful effort to establish Thanksgiving, she also used other forms of written media to express her views. Her first novel, "Northwood: Life North and South" (known as "A New England Tale" in London), was published in 1827 and explored issues of race and class. She also claimed authorship of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in her 1830 work, "Poems for Our Children." Widowed in 1822, Hale spent most of her life in a state of perpetual mourning. She died at the age of 90, only two years after she retired from "Godey's."Publication Details
Publication Type
MagazinePeriodical
Godey's Lady's BookPeriodical Type
MagazineEditor
Sarah Josepha HalePublisher
Louis GodeyPlace Published
State/Province
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDate Published
Aug 1870Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
InscriptionLocation
top of coverTranscription
Delia D. Campbell / Mansfield / Centre / ConnMaterial/Technique
PencilDimensions
Width
6-1/2 inDepth
1/4 inLength
10 in
