Containing an eclectic blend of current affairs, interviews, opinion pieces, letters, short fiction, cartoons and serialized novels (such as C. S. Forester’s Hornblower), the USA-produced Saturday Evening Post was one of the most sophisticated and respected magazines on earth for almost a century. Available in many countries, the magazine regularly covered international events and published foreign ‘postcards’ or impressions of exotic locations, but nevertheless remained undeniably American in content. In fact, in many ways Saturday Evening Post is a remarkable ‘slice of American life’ that reliably reflects a nation’s psyche.
By the mid1940s, the magazine featured exquisite illustrations by the likes of Norman Rockwell. And the bright, full-colour advertisements were testimony to a nation on the move – iconic representations of chrome bumper bars, twelve-cylinder gas-guzzlers, car batteries, motor oil, ball bearings and leather shoes appear on almost every page.
By the mid-1950s, the prosperity of the post-war boom years permitted a new interest in social issues such as homelessness, police corruption and post-war migration. At the same time, the magazine’s photographs and illustrations maintained their high standard. In this golden age, American consumers could now purchase ‘The Wonderbar’, a plug-in mobile ‘Esky’, which of course should not be confused with ‘The Wonderbra’.
By the late 1960’s, social issues were even more prominent. Articles about the role of working women and the ethics of New York garbage strikes were interspersed with ‘groovy’ new fashion ideas and endless cigarette advertisements. Many high calibre novelists and writers, such as Joan Didion, became regular contributors.
With many issues running close to 150 pages, the Saturday Evening Post is a wide-ranging, colourful and in-depth testament to the rise of American politics and culture in the twentieth century. It’s also highly entertaining. (For example: ‘The Atom Bomb: Your Flesh Should Creep.’)
Below are example magazine covers from different decades. Click on an image to view a larger version.
