Latest Acquisitions (Nov 2022)

Architectural Review

First published in 1896 by Percy Hastings and still going strong, the Architectural Review is a monthly journal (though today only 10 copies a year are produced). Initially purely devoted to architecture it moved more to a general arts magazine with an architectural bias in the 1920s. After World War II it became known for its push on urban design.

Commercial Art (1926-1931), Commercial Art and Industry (1932-1936) and Art and Industry (1937 onwards)

Three titles, same magazine. And wow, what a magazine. Even though the run we have (1926 to 1939) is bound without covers and advertisements it is full of fabulous articles about the advertising of products, commercial art, product promotion and much, much more. I don’t know if it is still being published but I have seen a copy from 1958 on the internet.

Athletics Weekly

Founded in post-war Britain in 1945 by P.C. “Jimmy” Green (initially from the back bedroom of his home) the first issue was titled Volume 2 Issue 1. This was done to convince the government of the day to release paper during the post-war rationing period (paper was only released to existing pre-war titles). In reality there was no Volume 1.

Initially published monthly it became a weekly in January 1950 and it is said that the magazine never missed a deadline.

This was a donation; it covers the 1970s and 1980s and consists of approximately 500 magazines (we won’t have the exact number until we have finished cataloguing them).

Cabinet Maker

This is one of many titles recently purchased from Stephen White Books. The Cabinet Maker, full title “Cabinet Maker and Complete House Furnisher” first came into being on 1 July 1880 and is still going strong today. The magazine is primarily a trade journal, initially published weekly but today monthly and as an example of content I am looking at a copy from 1929. Inside there are 33 pages of advertising and articles on: Furnishing Shop Windows; Designs for Furnishing Textiles; and Two centuries of Cabinet Making by Waring and Gillow. In addition there are regular features on Notes and News, Coming events, The Courts, Employment Figures, Timber Notes, Round the Trades, Work in Prospect, Patent News, Obituaries, Commercial Information and Company Matters. Sitting in the archive at present are about 35 boxes of these waiting to be catalogued and I expect there to be in the region of 1,000 magazines by the time we are through them.

Climber and Rambler

Originally “Climber” (1962-1968), then “Climber and Rambler“ (1969-1986) and then back to “Climber”. This run came as a donation from a member of the Cheshire Family History Society following our talk to them.

The magazine as expected features articles covering a mix of both current and historical climbing topics. As well as covering serious top-level mountain climbing it also features “rock climbing” and “rambling/climbing”. Another aspect of the magazine is articles and features on the latest equipment. As expected there are significant advertisements in the magazine.