Before Facebook, Twitter, and even television, weekly print news magazines captured national and world events and provided analysis and interpretation for most Americans. Collectively, these magazines had 10s of millions of weekly readers.
Our database, Magazine Archives, includes the full text of five of the most important 20th century popular news and business magazines: Time, Life, Forbes, Fortune, and Bloomberg Businessweek. Coverage is from the beginning of each magazine through 2000, with start dates ranging from 1917 for Fortune and Life starting the latest in 1936. Magazines can be searched, as Magazine Archives, or individually (all links are for current R-MC users only).
(Images courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Life was known for its photojournalism and many of the most famous images of the 20th century were published in this magazine, which covered both national and international events, politics, and culture. Time magazine has always been known for its in-depth coverage of the people who create the news in national and international current events, politics, sports, and entertainment. Forbes, Fortune, and Bloomberg Businessweek cover various aspects of business and economics with extensive coverage of the events and news that shape our world.
These primary source materials are invaluable in helping us understand the 20th century from the perspective of those that lived it.