PSR#2 On The Australian Women's Weekly

Primary Source Report on The Australian Women's Weekly by Karla Destéfani

Complete APA 7th Citation

(1934). The Australian Women's Weekly. Trove. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4604901

Circulation

 The magazine was run by Frank Packer (Australian food of history, n.d.; Trove, n.d.)and it was on the lower end of the price scale 2 d as displayed on the cover of vol.1 no. 31.  This equates to approximately 86c in our present year (https://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualPreDecimal.html). The first issue of their weekly releases was in 1933 and during this first year the magazine began running small competitions with cash prizes (Australian food of history, n.d.). The price increased steadily with inflation and popularity. By 1980 it was priced at 50c (approximately $2.18 at present) (Trove, n.d.). 

The magazine is still running to this day. 

Editor(s)

I was unable to find the editor's name on the present issue. 
The magazine has been running for many years and hence has had many editors which have been listed below (Trove, n.d.);
- George Warnecke (1933-39)
- Alice Mabel Jackson (1939-50)
- Esmé (Ezzie) Fenston (1950-72)
- Dorothy Drain (1972-75)
- Ita Buttrose (1975–76)
- Jennifer Rowe (1987-1992).

During this issue of the Australian Women's Weekly George Warnecke was the editor.  He contributed greatly to this early period of the magazine acting as one of its founders (https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A34601). Prior to this endeavour, he was a Sydney Newspaperman (above ref). 

Implied Reader

1933 Issue of the Australian Women's Weekly (NowtoLove, ___).

The target demographic is as clear as the magazine name, it was targetted towards women. Initially, the magazine issues were predominantly targetted towards a woman who ran a household or at least a middle-aged woman, someone relatively "put together" or aiming to be. Within this issue, it can be seen on page 33 wit "A Message to Mothers," or "A Message to Young Wives and Mothers; Natural Breast Feeding is Best," or page 24 which covers "pokerwork" and an advertisement for Dandy Starch for ironing. 

As time passed producers of the magazine noted the increasing percentage of readers under 21 and wanted to begin marketing towards them. In issues from 1954 onwards, the magazine included teenager segments. With this change in marketing which steadily heavily geared towards younger females, the issues by 1974 were said to have 54% of its readership comprised of Australian girls between the ages of 14 to 19 years of age. 

An example of advertisements on page 24 of this issue. 

Focus on contents

The content of the issue

The pages are incredibly dense, with small-sized font and short kerning. 

Page 25 of the Issue. 

The pages tend to alternate between close to entirely being text, and as pictured above a collage of sorts with black and white imagery and dense small paragraphs of text. 

The magazine consists predominantly of advertisements, followed by short stories distributed across multiple pages and how-to guides. The focus in this issue is very much on aesthetics both in physical beauty and in an ideal almost, dare I say, escapist life. 

Advertisements of what?!?

This issue focussed heavily on fashion, "what 

p. 34 dress advert

Social, political and Cultural context of the Australian Women's Weekly: 

The magazine started from 'human beginnings' to "Help with home worries" (NowtoLove, ___), nonetheless, as time progressed the magazine began to expand and become a frontier for women's issues. In 1964 the magazine aired a column on the contraceptive pill, which peaked in circulation numbers. this prompted a consistent column on women's knowledge of sex. Adventurous titles continued throughout the years for instance, "Sex and the Working Woman" in November 1974 (https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/634568). 

Format

According to the trove database, each issue within the first few years had 36 pages. Throughout the entirety of this issue, the pages are black and white. This can be seen in neighbouring issues which is a clear piece of evidence pointing towards the cost of the magazine. On certain pages ink from one side of the page can be seen on the side facing up denoting the paper was likely quite thin - another factor towards a cheaper price. These choices are incredibly understandable as the magazine throughout the ages changed it's content to appeal to the largest possible audience (the magazine was not attempting to be scare and valuable in that sense) and the weekly deadlines. Advertisements are illustrated often in a cartoonish manner which would have taken illustrator less time than creating hyper-realistic representations. These predominantly outline-only images also required less ink to print. There does appear to be photos used throughout the magazine. It has been noted that they are often quite small on the page for instance on page 26, I assume this is due to the ink requirements when printing photos. 

Page 26 of the issue. 

The front cover is an exception to the above, which often featured a full-page photograph or illustration. The 1934 January issue (which has been discussed throughout) is no exception to this, showcases a wonderful, presumably pencil illustration of two women. 

Front page of the issue. 

Usefulness to topic

I intend to discuss consumer culture in relation to women's fashion across classes. In analysing a magazine meant for middle-class/working-class range of women it provides a great comparison point against high-class magazines. 

References

(1934). The Australian Women's Weekly. Trove. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4604901

Auslit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A34601

http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fenston-esme-ezzie-10165
 http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fenston-esme-ezzie-10165

https://australianfoodtimeline.com.au/australian-womens-weekly/

https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celeb-news/throwback-covers-a-look-through-history-9304

https://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualPreDecimal.html

https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/634568

https://australianfoodtimeline.com.au/australian-womens-weekly/

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/the-australian-womens-weekly-the-weekly-that-was-20140416-36r5c.html

https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celeb-news/throwback-covers-a-look-through-history-9304
https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/634568

https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A34601

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/4604883

SSR #2 On The Australian Women's Weekly FASHION - The First 50 years

 SSR 2: Primary Source Report on The HOME Magazine January 1934 Issue by Karla Destéfani

Image of Women's Weekly Cover on Page 13

Complete APA 7th Citation 

Thomas, Deborah, with Kirstie Clements. (2014). The Australian Women’s Weekly Fashion: The First 50 Years (pp. 1-29). National Library of Australia.

Key Words

Fashion, 1930s, Magazine, Women's Weekly, dress, style, images, hem, economics, fabric, makeup, workwear, modern woman

Brief Overview

The book, written by an ex-editor of the Women's Weekly from 1999-2008, covers fashion from the 30s through to the 70s. Celebrating the impact the magazine has had on fashion viewing it as an "important chronicle" of information on how Australia developed its national style as it "continually reflected the changing face" of Australia. It covers the development of the Women's Weekly, first published in 1933, across time and heavily uses imagery to support and convey its points. 

Summary of Key Points

• This magazine is a mirror of our times and features fashion alongside important Australian events (building of the Sydney Opera House, Second World War etc..). 
• The women's weekly was released in midst of the great depression, nonetheless, it thrived with a circulation of 400,00 copies per week in 1939. 
• The magazine heavily supported the arts. 
• In 1929 the fashion industry's immediate reaction to the Wall Street crash  was marked by rejection of the flamboyance and decadence of the 'roaring twenties.'
• Fashion became more practical and accessible as designers stopped using costly embellishments in favour of more simple designs. Additionally, more synthetic fabric were being produced such as rayon, viscose and crepe.
• The change in the economy changed what women, particularly those who were wealthy, required from their wardrobes - obtaining more practical garments.
• Australians preferred to buy British, but only the wealthy class was capable of doing so. 
• Hats and hairdos which appeared within issues in the 1930s imitated the American socialite Wallis Simpson - a leader trendsetter. 
• Fashion was most commonly displayed through illustration instead of photography.
• Schiaparelli - Fur was often used for collars, responsible for popularising the zipper as well as bold colours. 
• Mid 30s wide shoulders and narrow waists made regular appearances on the fashion pages of The weekly. hemlines dropped to mid-shin for day and full length for day and full length for evenly wear due to economic constraints. Women's silhouette always pinched in at the waist and often women would adorn masculine jackets. 
• The popularity of suiting was born from the "modern 1930s woman" wanting to imitate men  and their "workwear."
• Late 1930s trousers started to be worn by women. Pants were wide-legged and sat on the waist. 
• Daywear was marked by masculine elements and nightwear was incredibly vamp - with large dips at the front and back with high hems at the front. 
• Gone With The Wind increased the popularity of large puffed sleeves. 
• The pages were commonly filled with coloured imagery however there were many dramatically lit black-and-white photographs which emulated the dramatic stills of the movie studious.
• Film heavily impacted daily wear and daily wear heavily impacted what waas seen on screen. They worked closely together and thus the masculine looks women strived for in modernity appeared on the screen and glamour accessories (tortoiseshell sunglasses and short gloves) found their way in daily wear. 
• Bags became sleek and refined (clutch instead of swing bag).
• Hats were an essential part of the female wardrobe and in1935  Schiaparelli brought back a revival of the victorian period. 
• The feminine 1930s brought back curls, emphasis on eyebrows and lipsticked mouth. 

Photo of dress demonstrating the longe hem line ideal on page 3.

Important Quotations

• "Expensive, socialite-modelled European couture of the 1930s" (p.v) description of the 1930s fashion. 
• "Reflected the current political agenda for women" (p.v)
• "From its very beginnings, the social status of women has been a recurring theme in the magazine - some decades embracing women's liberation more than others" (p.vi)
• "it is the wealth of information about the average Australia woman that makes The Weekly such a valuable source." (p.vi)
• "Above all, wether the journalists are writing about fashion ... there has to be an element of news in what they write" - George Warnecke first editor (p.vii)
• "Perhaps more than in any other century in history, fashion across every decade of the twentieth century was influenced by the rapidly changing status of women in Western society and the unparalleled roller-coaster economic events that marked the period. In no decade was this more so than in the 19230s, with its harsh financial realities" (p.1).
• "Long hemlines were typical of this period, with designers going against the economic grain, choosing to use extra fabric for longer skirts and draping - defiantly showing they would not compromise simply because fabric was expensive." (p.9)
• "Schiaparelli moved fashion away from . androgynous look .. embrac[ing] a narrower, mor feminines silhouette with an emphasis on the bustlines and the curvature of a womans waist."  "Sharp, sculptural silhouettes" 
• "It could be said that the 1930s daywear  in the 1930s  was the forerunner to the working woman's wardrobe we know today."
• The pages were commonly filled with coloured imagery however there were many dramatically lit black-and-white photographs which emulated the dramatic stills of the movie studious. (paraphrased)
• "The emergence of sportswear designers ... introduced a less formal way of dressing featuring white shorts playsuits, beach cover-ups and of course, the bathing suit." (p.25)
• "In 1933, a two-piece swimsuit appeared in The Weekly for the first time."
  "The Australian Women's weekly ... intended to become a fashion bible of the nation." (p.25)

Photo of the dress featured on page 18. 

Usefulness to Group/Individual Project

This source report focusses purely on the introduction and '30s' chapter as it will serve my project the most by providing an overview of the magazine as a whole and a "closer reading" of my specific interest. 

PSR#1 On The HOME: An Australian Quarterly

 PSR 1: Primary Source Report on The HOME Magazine January 1934 Issue by Karla Destéfani

Complete APA 7th Citation

(1920). THE HOME, The Home: An Australian Quarterly. Trove. http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-388080563 

Circulation

According to Trove, the first issue of The HOME was published in February 1920. Initially, the magazine was published quarterly and this lasted until 1924 where they began to publish five or six per year. In 1926 the frequency shot up once more with almost a magazine per month which continued to be the situation in 1934 when the January issue was released. This issue proclaims that it is "The Australian Journal of Quality - Published Once a Month" (pg.17). Issues continued to be released at this rate up to September 1942 according to the Trove database.

Editor

Screen Capture of Page 17 in Vol 15. no. 1.

In researching online I discovered Harold Herbert to be primarily an illustrator and Basil Burdett to be a journalist, art dealer and critic who contributed to a variety of magazines (Brisbane Daily Mail, Art in Australia and the Melbourne Herald). There was less success in finding information on the sub-editor Mrs Bligh Jones.

Implied Reader

The advertising is diverse.

Page 2 - Makeup, focus on "convenience" "beauty" and only available at "leading shops"
This points towards a wealthier woman, who has the money to spend on higher end products to wear to her assumed "dancing" and "dinning." 

Page 3 - Holiday to the Solomon Islands, portraying the natives as exotic and simplistic. There are words such as "Free" present which could imply they are targetting a lower class individual, however, the impressive colours and notion of being able to spend a month or more on holiday targets higher class individuals. There is a male native instead of a female, it may be a stretch but potentially this could be feeding a female-gaze rather than a male one. 

Page 4 - Cheese ad. The artwork of the cheese is presented more artistically with bright colours and the inclusion of a small boy. Along with the tag line, "Only the finest cheese is made by Kraft" denotes a higher class. The prose is written towards a parent, most likely a woman, advising them on why this cheese is healthier. 

Page 5 - displays a range of ads including, weight loss, school uniforms, hairdressing, cutlery and a book published by Art in Australia. These 'homely' aspects point towards a woman audience.

The Bear Book publish by Art in Australia whom one of the editors of The Home also worked on. 

Page 6 - Personal and social. Covers "gossip" topics and is surrounded by advertisements on skincare among others. Points towards a female audience. 

Page 7 - Toothbrush advertisements - points towards a household (neutral gender). 

Page 8 - Sport frocks, some advertisements with imagery of female attire and some only with text and negative space. 

Page 12 - Photographer advertisement; "The only exclusively French Salon"; "Comfortable" hotel advertisements; "Luxurious" Car hire advertisement. All black and white imagery. The car and hotel advertisements point towards a male reader. 

Page 13 - Pet market advertisements - "Royal Sacred" "Ideal cat for house or car"  To have enough money to own a pet, let alone a more expensive pet you would need to be of a higher class. 

Page 14 - Expensive female garments. 

Screen Capture of Page 14 in Vol 15. no. 1.

Page 16 - Pad advertisements presented in a luxurious way with the female silhouette - "How do I tell my daughter?"

Screen Capture of Page 16 in Vol 15. no. 1.

This trend continues throughout the magazine. It tailors it's contents to an upper-class household. All the women present in advertisements are caucasian so it can be assumed this the demographic to is caucasian.  It is considered a household magazine due to its focus on taking care of children of a variety of ages, masculine commodities as well as female beauty - in this way it targets a group of individuals. It is the upper class due to the matters of importance within the issue such as pets, appearance and fashion. 

Focus on contents

The issue is heavily populated with advertisements, focussing on the commodities the person could buy. The larger prose segments typically cover mini-biographies of noteworthy persons, details attending a particular event, or in-depth discussions in an almost story-like manner, for instance, discussing the arrangement of bushes (p.37). 

These "story-time" pieces take up the most pages alongside advertisements.

There is heavy advertising present.  The advertisements will either be placed beside prose framing it or have its own pages. The most popular advertisements surround appearance - clothing (undergarments and outerwear), hair, skin - swiftly followed by leisure activities such as alcohol, dancing, hotels, travel and finally commodities such as cars and rugs. 

The magazine does not appear outwardly political but it does hold strong beliefs surrounding the importance of appearance. 

Format

The issues are 76 pages long, they use colour through the magazine but not every page is full colour. Certain advertisements are full colour, but most commonly only certain segments use 3 or so colours to enhance the visuals. Photography and illustrations are prominent. Illustrations are incredibly common in advertisements, photography is more common accompanying the longer prose. In both cases, it is often quite artful with care placed into lighting and composition. This use of imagery really enhances the communication and escapism aspect of the magazine. The imagery assists with visualising what authors are discussing and allows the reader to place themself on the holiday island, in the garment etc..

Below are images to showcase what I mean.

Screen Capture of Page 63 in Vol 15. no. 1.

Screen Capture of Page 48 in Vol 15. no. 1.

Usefulness to topic

I intend to discuss consumer culture in relation to women's fashion accross classes. I would like to compare The HOME and The Australian Women's Weekly. This issue functions as a great primary source for me to refer to when analysing women's fashion in more depth. 

References

Auslit. (2020). Basil Burdette. Auslit. https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A117151

Auslit. (2020). Harold B. Herbert. Auslit. https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A102010

Invaluable. (2020). Harold Herbert Auction Price Results. Invaluable. https://www.invaluable.com/artist/herbert-harold-vc7fecxy74/sold-at-auction-prices/

PSR 3 Blake Rathie

PSR 3: Primary Source Report on The Australian Woman’s Mirror (No. 21, April 19, 1932)

by Blake Rathie

 

 

Image

 

 

(1924). The Australian woman's mirror. Sydney: The Bulletin Newspaper. Web. http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-557531115

 

Circulation

What can you find out about the circulation of the magazine? How would you characterise the circulation--was it limited, or popular?  Can you find out if that was considered expensive?

 

Its cover proudly proclaims, “over 166,000 copies sold every week.” This publication reached a significant portion of Australia’s population, reaching its peak in 1930, an equivalent of 600,000 in 2017 (Perkins). Its popularity was to its detriment though, as in 1960 Frank Packer bought the magazine to kill it so that the market would be cleared for his Australian Women’s Weekly (Perkins).

 

 

Editor

 

It is strange, I cannot even find the name to the editor, the magazine itself simply refers to them as “the editor” and that all letters should be worded to them in that manner as well.

 

Implied Reader

After studying thoroughly a single issue of the magazine--ads, articles, stories, everything--consider its target reader implied by the magazine’s contents: age, sex, economic class, intellectual class, race, political position, and anything else that seems important

 

The implied readership is within the magazine’s name, Australian women, in particular, middle-class mothers.

 

 

Contents

a. In a single issue, what kind of content gets the most pages (creative: fiction, poetry, drama, visual art, music/ critical: cultural, aesthetic, social, political/ informative: travel, biography, history, news)

 

In a single issue, serials, stories, advice, and entertainment. The Mirror supplied women in the city and the bush with conversation material surrounding theatre, art, film, and sport (Perkins).

“It offers dress patterns, recipes and household hints, but it also includes articles on successful businesswomen and legal tips for readers. It prides itself on providing common ground for all kinds of women,” (Perkins).

 

 

 

b. Advertising: Ratio of advertising to other aspects of the text. What kind of advertising gets the most space? Anything else significant about advertising?

 

Out of the magazine’s 68 pages, there are 33 pages of advertising. Not all of these pages are purely advertising, but it remains that 48% of this issue consists of advertising. The advertising is targeted towards its feminine audience with feminine products, such as needlework, women’s clothes, baking products, corsets, face cream, etc.

  

Format

How many average pages per issue? Did it use colour?  How much?  Photography? How much?  How are images used?  Do they illustrate stories or article?  If there are illustrations, how do they make the magazine feel?

 

The Australian Woman’s Mirror has an average page count in the high 60s, not particularly long. The page quality seems quite poor, and along with this, the pages are not printed in colour. Even the covers are simply printed in an alt ink colour such as blue, yet there remains a consistent monotone of print throughout the magazine. That said, pictures are hardly used sparingly, on every page there is an illustration, which makes it very entertaining to go through.

 

References

Perkins, Cathy. (2017). Nothing is wasted: The 'Mirror's' writing women. Meanjin, vol. 76 (no. 2), p. 184-194. https://searchinformitcomau.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=041302055314892;res=IELLCC

 

(1924). The Australian woman's mirror. Sydney: The Bulletin Newspaper. Web. http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-557531115

 

SSR3: Secondary Source Report on Celmara Pocock’s Aborigines, Islanders and Hula Girls in Great Barrier Reef Tourism by Sebastian Mauger-Hollmann

Complete citation:

Pocock, Celmara. “Aborigines, Islanders and Hula Girls in Great Barrier Reef Tourism.” The Journal of Pacific History 49.2 (2014)

Key Words: Great Barrier Reef, Aboriginal, labour, Pacific, tourism, performance

Brief Overview: Pocock’s paper presents an analysis of historic tourist ephemera to suggest that Aboriginal people are essentially invisible at the Great Barrier Reef, despite their role in establishing the tourism industry. 

Summary of key points:

·         The Aboriginal people rarely receive acknowledgement and go unrewarded for their involvement in the tourism industry.

·         Early tourists to the Great Barrier Reef were primarily motivated to appreciate the scenery and what nature had to offer, however the Aboriginal people were just seen as part of the nature; many Aboriginal settlements became popular tourist destinations

·         Because much of Aboriginal culture is not coastal, much of the Torres Strait Islander, and other Pacific cultures were appropriated alongside Aboriginal culture as to promote tourism.

Important Quotations:

“Although Indigenous Islanders in Australia are most often recognised as those from the Torres Strait Islands at the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland is also home to the descendants of indentured labourers from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and nearby Pacific locations who worked in early colonial sugar and cotton industries” (Pocock, 2014).

“Aboriginal people were required to relinquish their own cultures, but simultaneously required to learn dances and songs related to those of the Pacific” (Pocock, 2014).

“South Sea maidens represented in Reef advertising brochures and commercial tourism are predominantly, if not exclusively, white” (Pocock, 2014).

“Aboriginal people are thus rendered invisible in Great Barrier Reef tourist landscapes that are reconfigured as part of the Pacific, because Aborigines challenge the Pacific ideal” (Pocock, 2014).

Usefulness to our group topic or individual project:

The paper is helpful to our group or individual project as it addresses the how poorly the Aboriginal people were treated during the rise of the tourism industry. It also shows how other cultural practices, such as hula girls and dances, were appropriated to increase interest in Aboriginal culture.

SSR2: Secondary Source Report on Warwick Frost’s Australia Unlimited? by Sebastian Mauger-Hollmann

Complete citation:

Frost, Warwick. “Australia Unlimited? Environmental Debate in the Age of Catastrophe, 1910-1939.” Environment and History 10 (2004): 285-303. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2004/00000010/00000003/art00002

Key Words: Australia; Australia Unlimited; National Parks; environmental policy; forestry; tourism

Brief Overview: Warwick Frost’s article argues that there was an environmental debate, with a wide range of interests pushing for conservation, the development of National Parks and limits on these development schemes.

Summary of key points:

·         One key point of Frost’s article is the addressal of forest clearing to create more land for dairy farms; it was estimated that between seven and ten million acres of forest was destroyed.

·         The article goes on to address how many Australians began developing a great interest in nature beginning a decade after the end of WWI.

·         The creation of National Parks began to arise as they were locations seen with no value for timber.

·         This time is regarded as having little to no environmental concerns, but this article goes to show that there were in fact several debates focussed solely on environmental concerns.

Important Quotations:

“Brady anticipated that there would be opposition to his plans for forest clearance from conservationists and timber interests. However, he dismissed these, arguing, ʻRegrets for the destruction of timber need not trouble us. Fields are worth more than trees [sic]; a fact, which self-constituted forestry authorities are loath to admit’” (p.288).

“By the 1920s, it was a well-established part of the curriculum, serviced by many passionately interested teachers. Interest amongst schools was reinforced by celebrations such as Arbor Day, Wattle Day [,] and Bird Day. The last was the invention of the Gould League of Bird Lovers, which by 1935 had 100,000 members in Victoria alone” (p.293).

“Support for National Parks, forest conservation, nature studies and bushwalking all grew strongly. This was a period of debate. Most importantly it was a period when environmental concerns became widespread throughout Australia” (p.297).

Usefulness to our group topic or individual project:

The journal article is helpful to our group or individual project as it raises interesting points regarding the outlook toward nature by Australians and how that outlook had changed/was addressed over the decades after the wars.