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"Woman" Magazine

 Collection
Identifier: Collection 036

Scope and Contents

Spanning November 21, 1908 to January 23, 1909, the ten issues of Woman reveal turn of the century views on suffrage, wage equity for women, home-furnishing and decoration, national and international news, music, theatre, motherhood and more. The stated editorial view that "...women can do everything as well as any man, and most things better," is reflected in news and articles.

Dates

  • 1908-1919

Biographical / Historical

“Woman...”, published by the Woman Publishing Company, was an early woman's magazine, founded in 1908, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by a group of local newspaper women. Its focus was previously said to be suffrage, equal wages, and social equality, but it was really about women and women's interests, including regular sections on Theater, Women's Clubs, Society & Personals, and a variety of other national and local short or long articles of interest to women. One issue has an article about the “First Grand Rapids Cat Show”, for example, while another has an article about “A New Era in Insurance”.

There is also a section called “Merely Men”, with information about leading Grand Rapids men, though men are also seen in the other sections, as appropriate. Photos, drawings and advertising, provide visual information. Articles about women leaders or women doing unique things are included, for the interest of the readers. “Women : a weekly newspaper, of the women, for the women, by the women” published only 10 issues from late November 1908 to late January 1909. The publishers sought to achieve their goals through educating their readers on diverse topics. The cover illustration of a seated woman, used through issue #8, Jan. 1909, was done by artist Reubey S. Ferris.

Cora Parks Blodgett, an advertising writer, was named business manager. Helen Aston Williams, later reporter for the Grand Rapids Herald, was named managing editor. Williams was given support and advice by two associate editors, both nationally recognized women journalists; Addie Farrar Andre, woman's editor for the Chicago Daily News, and Mary D. McFadden, editorial writer for the Duluth News-Tribune. From office 301 in the Shepard Block, the editors of Woman printed ten issues. The lack of financial support forced the closing of the weekly in 1909.

Extent

0.21 Linear Feet (One box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Woman was a weekly newspaper founded in 1908 in Grand Rapids, Michigan by a group of local newspaper women. Spanning November 21, 1908 to January 23, 1909, the ten issues of Woman reveal turn of the century views on suffrage, wage equity for women, home-furnishing and decoration, national and international news, music, theatre, motherhood and more.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Anonymous donor, accession number 00.000

Related Materials

Several of the people, organizations and topics mentioned in the issues of “Woman” include many of the same people, organizations and topics included in many of the other existing Grand Rapids Public Library archival collections. Coll. 012, the Reubey S.T. Ferris Recollections of William Haldane, for example, may document the “Woman” cover artist, or her earlier ancestor. Ask staff for assistance in finding departmental materials related to particular people or organizations mention in the Woman magazine.

See also the online index to the photocopied clippings, of articles on women, found by Carl Bajema in the mainstream Grand Rapids newspapers, to about the mid-1920's

Title
Finding aid for the "Woman" magazine collection
Status
Completed
Author
William C. Black
Date
March 1987
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository

Contact:
Grand Rapids Public Library
111 Library Street NE
Grand Rapids Michigan 49503 USA
616-988-5497