The American Magazine (1911-1956)
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American Magazine began as Leslie's Popular Monthly in 1876. In thirty years of publication the magazine experienced modest success before being sold in 1906 to notable muckrakers Ray Stannard Barker, Ida Tarbell, and Lincoln Steffens. However, muckraking journalism was in decline and the journalists were forced to sell to Crowell Publishing in 1911. Under the editorship of John Siddall the content of American Magazine addressed the hopes and aspirations of the ordinary man. |
American Magazine was intended by Crowell Publishing to be a big circulation magazine with a masculine appeal. American magazine implemented this philosophy by featuring articles that targeted a youthful audience and expounded an ethos of self-improvement among American businessmen. The Great Depression forced American Magazine to abandon its optimistic tone in favor of content that would appeal to a more general audience. American Magazine became a mirror of American society that would reflect the image of American identity for its remaining years.
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