PSR 2: Primary Source Report Sunset: The Pacific Monthly, December 1921, Vol. 46 No. 6

 

PSR 2: Primary Source Report

Sunset: The Pacific Monthly, December 1921, Vol. 46 No. 6

 Mark Bradley

Circulation

The Sunset magazine was originally called the Southern Pacific Railroad and began publication in 1898 for use by and promotion of the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Western United States. In 1914, the magazines name changed to Sunset and its contents modified to capture a national audience. Around the time of this issues publication in 1921, the magazine slowly grew unprofitable, implying a decreasing circulation. The price for this issue was 25 US cents, which is US $3.50 today, and reflected a general price for a general interest publication of the time.

Editor

Little is known about the “series of owners and publishers since 1898” (Pagano 6), until Lawrence Lane purchased the failing magazine in 1928. This 1921 issue is an example of the kind of general interest magazine material about the West which was transformed by Lane into a popular magazine about living in the West.

Implied Reader

The Sunset magazine in 1921 catered to both male and female adults, specifically middle class suburban parents and those aspiring to taste the upper class lifestyle. The material infers a patriotic reader, interested in the Western United States.

Contents

The material was about the Western United States, focusing on current affairs, fictional stories and verse; over half of the magazines contents is fiction. Advertisements are littered throughout, except for a 35% block of current affairs and fictional stories, which have no advertisements on their pages. The lack of advertisements may signify the importance of the patriotic topics within.

Most advertisements are targeting the suburban family of practical means and reflect the magazine changes Lane made in 1928. The current affairs and stories found in this issue do not relate to most of the advertisements and would not until the magazine was changed to a home and travel magazine of practical advice. Advertisement sizes seem to reflect the amount paid, as they range in size regardless of the products value. As this is a December issue, there are small to medium advertisements scattered throughout for boys and girls Christmas presents.

Format

This issue had 90 pages, with only a few pages colourized. The cover page and the last page with a full advertisement is fully colourized, while the remaining few coloured story pictures and advertisements are of only partial and soft colour, such as a red uniform or a pink and gold hand cream bottle, reflecting the amount paid for the advertisement.

References

Pagano, Jennifer H. “The evolution of Sunset Magazine's cooking department: The

accommodation of men's and women's cooking in the 1930s”. Retrieved from scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3575/

Sunset | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. Austlit.edu.au. (2020). Retrieved from

www-austlit-edu-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/austlit/page/6868316