Beginnings of print magazines First publication, which could be - TopicsExpress

Beginnings of print magazines First publication, which could be called a magazine, was the German Erbauliche Monaths Unterredungen, released in the year 1663. It was a literary and philosophical edition and after it was launched several periodicals with very similar topics were published, and were intended for an intellectual audience. Thematic scope was very narrow, and it was mainly written by one author. A publication similar to today’s magazines (various themes and several authors) appeared in the year 1672, when French author Jean Donneau de Vize created Le Mercure Galant. It combines topics from court events, theater and literature, and this magazine concept was copied throughout Europe. The first women’s magazine, Ladie’s Mercury, was launched in London in the year 1693. Of course, these publications in their beginnings were called periodicals. Name “magazine” appeared in the year 1731 with the occurrence of the Gentleman’s Magazine. The name magazine, which comes from the Arabic word which means the warehouse, and was used for describing the place which deposits large quantity of various goods, while the analogy used to describe a book that contained many useful information for travelers and sailors. The success of the magazine was great, but the costs of every issue were even higher. Printing cost was high, and the number of printed copies could not be greater than one hundred thousand, because it was technically impossible to squeeze a larger amount of paper through the machine. Distribution was also a big problem because it was difficult to move large quantities of magazines at great distances. First ad pages In the mid 19th century readers were not only the rich ones and magazines become available to the middle class. This was beginning for the first family magazines, such as, Dickens Household Words. During the 19th century, increasing attempts was made to cut the price of the magazines. At this time the first ads appeared, but not much because the ads were loaded with special tax, all up to 1853. After the repeal of the tax, number of ads did not increase since many publishers avoided this type of income (Readers Digest magazine did not publish ads until 1955). In the late 19th century and with the invention of the rotary press, the number of printed copies increases, and the price of the issue is reduced and thus we enter the century, that will mark the development of the magazines as one of the world’s leading media. With technological progress, increased circulation, and increasing use of images, magazines are becoming increasingly attractive to advertisers. The first advertising agency was established in 1890 and from that point on advertising started to flourish.