It’s that time of the month again….It’s May Vintage Magazine Covers!

If you are a regular reader of my vintage blog, you know that I have started a “vintage magazine cover” series for each month. It’s been really fun, to see what was popular topics and images on these covers from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Shall we browse this months selections?

1950s Vintage Magazine Cover for VOGUE from May 1st, 1950 featuring a woman with a 1950's hairstyle and makeup.

Source: Vogue – See the full magazine HERE

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

May Vintage Magazine Covers

1920’s -1950’s

Maclean’s – Canada’s National Magazine May 1st 1920.

Read the full vintage magazine HERE.

1920s Vintage Magazine Cover for Maclean's Magazine - Canada's National Magazine May 1st 1920. The illustration on the front features a young woman who went to teach school in the Canadian West.

Source: Internet Archive

The May 1924 issue of Inspiration from the Women’s Institute in Scranton PA offers insights into Spring and Summer fashion from 1924, including women and children’s wear.

1920s Vintage Magazine Cover featuring 1920s Fashion Illustrations on the cover. The May 1924 issue of Inspiration from the Women's Institute in Scranton PA offers insights into spring and summer fashion from 1924, including women and children's wear

Source: Etsy – TheModernDelineator

Elite Styles, May 1921 fashion magazine featuring an illustration of two stylish women with bobbed hair and 1920s dresses perfect for Spring.

1920s Vintage Magazine Cover: Elite Styles, May 1921 fashion magazine featuring an illustration of two stylish women with bobbed hair and 1920s dresses perfect for Spring.

Ladies Home Journal – May 1930. The Fashion Illustration of a woman in a 1930 hat is by Dynevor Rhys.

1930s vintage magazine cover for The Ladies Home Journal May 1930 - 1930s Fashion Illustration of a woman in a 1930 hat is by Dynevor Rhys

Source: Etsy – LoveDoveTrading

Physical Culture – May 1930. Health, Happiness, Beauty. Magazine cover painted by Carl Pfeufer.

Articles inside include Cold Hands and Feet, Glenna Collett Golf, The Body Beautiful, Canoe Trip, Lost and Found Wife by Faith Baldwin, Recipes, Menus, and more.

Source: Etsy – Gibsonbooks

Vintage L’Illustration magazine, Special Edition: Intérieurs modernes, May 27th, 1933.

1930s Vintage Magazine Cover - L'Illustration magazine, Special Edition: Intérieurs modernes, May 27th, 1933

Here is a little sneak peak inside to showcase examples of fancy 1933 interior design (I like the bottom right).

1930s interior design as seen in a 1933 interior design magazine.L'Illustration magazine, Special Edition: Intérieurs modernes, May 27th, 1933

Source: Etsy – OldButGoldCrafts

Modern Mechanix, May 1937. This one caught my eye for the beautiful sailboats with their sails up. I love sailing.

Read the full vintage magazine HERE.

1930s vintage magazine cover for Modern Mechanix, May 1937 featuring sail boats on the cover

Source: Internet Archive

A friend of mine has an incredible collection of “Star Weekly at War” on her website, Elinor Florence. Here is one from May 1st, 1941 entitled “Air-Raid Warden”.

1940s Vintage Magazine the Toronto Star Weekly featuring an illustration of a mother and her child with an air-raid warden during an air raid may 1st 1941

Source: Elinor Florence

The Highway Traveler, April-May 1941, featuring an illustration of a pinup in spring fashions (not sure what this has to do with highway travelling but it sure does get your attention).

Example of an article in this vintage magazine:

“Vacationing in War-Time Canada”: Never before has such an effort been made to have citizens of this nation (the United States) visit Canada, and the residents of Canada have just about made every effort possible to insure every is having a good time.

1940s Vintage Magazine Cover: The Highway Traveler, April-May 1941, featuring an illustration of a pinup in spring fashions

Source: Etsy – CuriousBookShop

May 1949 – EVERYWOMAN. Featured article that goes with this beautiful image of a young 1940’s bride…”A Wedding in the Family?”

Note: This vintage magazine is an E-book so you can purchase and read it anytime HERE.

Women’s interest features include:

– Marriage: from the spiritual, moral, and material angles
– Bridal beauty
– Wedding planning
– War-widowed motherhood
– “A cap to match” (pattern diagram and instructions for a draped cap, and a crochet Juliet cap)
– Choosing a school
– Furnishing your first home (specifically: chairs)
– Refashioned make do and mend fashion [note: clothes rationing was still very much in force in 1949 Britain]
– Trousseau with a difference
– Learning how to manage a family’s rations
– “Housework can make you prettier”…AND MORE.

1940s Vintage Magazine Cover - Everywoman May 1949 featuring an i young 1940s bride holding her wedding flowers and a beautiful crown with veil.

Source: Etsy – tuppencehapenny

The American Legion Magazine – Volume 40, No. 5 May 1946.

Read the full vintage magazine HERE.

Source: Internet Archive

Early 1950s / Japanese sewing magazine w/ patterns, May 1951.

1950s Vintage Magazine: Early 1950s / Japanese sewing magazine May 1951. Featuring Sewing patterns for stylish 1950s fashions.

Example of stylish early 1950’s fashions you can make for yourself in Japan.

Source: Etsy – OldRosedesign

The Home Craftsman Magazine -May-June 1951. The magazine for practical home-owners.

“Kitchen Flooring Easily Laid”.

Source: Etsy- JasperstreasureStore

1950’s housewife attempting her first cake. Illustration by renowned American Illustrator, Stevan Dohanos, for the cover of The Saturday Evening Post dated May 21, 1955.

1950s Vintage Magazine: 1950's housewife attempting her first cake. Illustration by renowned American Illustrator, Stevan Dohanos, for the cover of The Saturday Evening Post dated May 21, 1955.

Source: Etsy – LetterKey

JET Magazine – May 17th, 1956 featuring on the cover ‘Milwaukee’s First Lady Alderman, Mrs. Vel Phillips‘.

Vel Phillips was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School; the first African American, as well as the first woman, elected Alderwoman to the Milwaukee Common Council; and the first Black, as well as the first woman, to serve as a jurist in Wisconsin.

1950s vintage magazine cover for JET Magazine May 17th, 1956 featuring Mrs Vel Phillips the first Black Lady Alderman in Milwaukee

Source: Pinterest

American Home, May 1956. Featuring on the cover Academy Award-nominated, Tony Award-nominated, and Emmy-winning Irish stage, film, and television actress, Geraldine Fitzgerald and her daughter Susan.

What fun pink bedroom decor.

1950s Vintage Magazine - American Home May 1956 featuring a pink themed bedroom with ruffles and actress Geraldine Fitzgerald with her daughter on the cover in 1950s loungwear.

Source: Biblo

I hope you enjoyed May’s vintage magazines. It was another fun post to do especially since May is my birthday month (May 4th). Please share in the comments section whatyour favourite cover was.

Thanks for dropping by!

FURTHER READING:

Liz

If you follow my blog on the regular, you know that I’m pretty passionate about showcasing the stories of women on the homefront and at war during WW2. I like to focus on Canada as much as I can (since I’m Canadian) but there are other times I like to just showcase all the efforts of women from all over. Today is one of those days.

This week’s post is on 1940s magazine covers showcasing women from all over doing their part for the war effort. At home or overseas.

Further Reading: Vintage Photo Tuesday: Women of WW2 “Do Your Part!”

1940s vintage magazine cover of Colliers featuring women in 1943 in uniform. They are wearing 1940s hairstyles.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

1940s Magazine Covers

Women Doing Their Part During WW2

First up I would like to kick off this blog post with this fantastic Sept 19th, 1943 cover illustration of two women in 1940s “off to work in the factory” clothing (hello saddle shoes!) and 1940s hairstyles (complete with hair scarfs and hair flowers). Love our “Rosies”.

Take a look at my friend and author, Elinor Florence’s collection of Toronto “Star Weekly” on her blog HERE.

1940s vintage magazine cover for the Toronto Star Weekly from Sept 1943 featuring an illustration of two 1940s women going to work for the WW2 war effort

Source: Elinor Florence

McCall’s Magazine, February 1943 with an amazing cover of an Aviatrix*.

Published in the thick of WWII, it is full of articles about making do, about sacrifice, ads about how to save, how to be a patriot and support the boys.

*Definition of Aviatrix: A woman who is a pilot.” It’s the feminine equivalent of aviator, and was often used to refer to Amelia Earhart, who vanished with her plane in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world. The word was most commonly used in the 1930s and 1940s before the role of “pilot” was well established (Source).

(available for purchase as of Nov 10th, 2022 HERE)

1940s vintage magazine: McCall's Magazine, February 1943 with an amazing cover of an Aviatrix

Source: Etsy-GroverStreetGirlSews

September 14th, 1943 – The Australian Woman’s Mirror. 32 pages of fashion, advertising, knitting, recipes and more.

1940s Vintage Magazine from WW2 featuring an Australian Woman in Uniform. September 14th, 1943 - The Australian Woman's Mirror. 32 pages of fashion, advertising, knitting, recipes and more.

Source: Etsy – TheVintageSide

1940s Cosmpolitan magazine featuring a nurse looking at her watch. Inside the magazine is ‘A Story of Wartime Marriage’.

1940s vintage magazine cover from Cosmpolitan magazine, March featuring a woman during WW2 as a nurse. Inside the magazine is a story of Wartime Marriage.

Source: Pulpcovers.com

“Working the Farms” was an important job all over the world.

A 56-page Everywoman magazine dating from March 1942, packed with social history and women’s interest features including:

– Mrs. Miles, Britain’s only aircraft designer
– Schooling
– Advice on selecting clothes styles that will be versatile and durable
– This Changing World
– Beauty While You Work
– Tips for renovating old and second-hand furniture
– Cleaning and caring for glass and china
– Ration-book cookery with recipes for every meal including desserts
– Spiritualism
– Knitting patterns (pictured)
– Health and beauty
– Beautifully illustrated short stories
– Readers’ letters & problem page
– and of course all those wonderful wartime adverts!

Digital Copy HERE

1940s Vintage Magazine: Full 56-page "Everywoman" magazine dating from March 1942, packed with social history and women's interest features

Source: Etsy-tuppencehapenny

Chatelaine magazine, September 1942. “Clocking in to start her war work”.

Further Reading: Chatelaine-The Canadian Magazine for Women since 1928 (past blog post)

The Australian Women’s Weekly 13-01-1945. The cover features the women of Australia who entered the service to help the cause.

Further Reading: The 1940s Vintage Magazine Covers of ‘The Australian Women’s Weekly’ (past blog post)

1940s vintage magazine cover: The Australian Women's Weekly 13-01-1945. The cover features the women of Australia who entered the service to help the cause to help the WW2 war effort

LIFE magazine from July 1st, 1940 featuring “Red Cross Girl”.

Source: Flickr

December 1941 of Women and Home, featuring knitting and crochet patterns for Christmas gifts and a woman returing home from doing her part.

1940s vintage magazine cover from December 1941 of Women and home featuring knitting and crochet patterns for christmas gifts and a woman returing home from helping the WW2 war effort

Source: Pinterest

McCall’s magazine September 1942, featuring another “Rosie” working in a factory.

1940s vintage magazine from WW2-McCall's September 1942 featuring a woman working in a factory for the WW2 war effort - Rosie the Riveter

Source: Pattern Vault

WOMAN magazine- “Incorporating the Woman’s budget”, May 3rd, 1943.

1940s vintage magazine: 1943 May 3rd Woman magazine featuring a woman in unform on the cover.

Source: Etsy – TheVintageSide

Collier’s Magazine July 14, 1945 – featuring Carole Landis on the cover.

Landis war work: In 1942, she toured with comedienne Martha Raye, dancer Mitzi Mayfair and actress Kay Francis with a USO troupe in England and North Africa. Two years later, she entertained soldiers in the South Pacific with Jack Benny. Benny later said that while many entertainers were reluctant to visit wounded men in camp hospitals, Landis made a point of spending time with them, and she displayed tremendous empathy as she talked with them about their lives and families back home. Landis traveled more than 100,000 miles during the war and spent more time visiting troops than any other actress. She became a popular pin-up with servicemen during World War II (Source).

1940s vintage magazine: Vintage Collier’s Magazine July 14, 1945 - WWII Carole Landis Cover. Stunning 1940s hairstyle inspiration.

Source: Pinterest

Thank you for dropping by! And thank you to all that served for your service near and far.

FURTHER READING:

World War 2 Women’s Contributions & Homefront Posts

Liz

Category: Vintage Magazine Covers