1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: The Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to this Day in History Class, 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: a show that flips through the pages of history to 4 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: deliver old news in a new way. I'm Gay Bluesier, 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:19,319 Speaker 1: and today we're talking about the long, prestigious history of 6 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 1: The Saturday Evening Post, an American literary institution that's still 7 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: going strong after more than two hundred years. The day 8 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: was August four, eighteen twenty one, the Saturday Evening Post 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: published its inaugural issue. It was produced by Samuel Atkinson, 10 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 1: the owner of a Philadelphia print shop, and by his partner, 11 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: Charles Alexander, a local writer. Now considered America's oldest magazine, 12 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: the Post began life as a weekly broadsheet newspaper organized 13 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: into five densely packed columns spread across four oversized pages. 14 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: The paper contained local and national news, as well as 15 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,479 Speaker 1: brief articles by the editor and a selection of short 16 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: stories and poems. Although it later became known for its 17 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: evocative cover illustrations, particularly those by Norman Rockwell, the Saturday 18 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: Evening Post originally lacked illustrations of any kind. Nonetheless, it 19 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: provided a weekly dose of light reading for subscribers, keeping 20 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,839 Speaker 1: them informed and helping them unwind in the era before 21 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 1: Sunday newspapers. In the summer of eighteen twenty one, Samuel 22 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: Atkinson became the sole proprietor of a print shop that 23 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: had once belonged to Benjamin Franklin. His business partner, David 24 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: Hall Jr. Had just passed away, and Atkinson was unsure 25 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: how to proceed without him. For the last five years, 26 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: they had published a newspaper together called The Pennsylvania Gazette, 27 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: the same one that Ben Franklin helped get off the 28 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: ground a century earlier. But with his partner gone, Atkinson 29 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: wondered if it might be better to close down the 30 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 1: long running Gazette and try something new. The push he 31 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: needed came from a friend and collaborator named Charles Alexander. 32 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: He approached Atkinson about publishing a popular poem about a 33 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: blind woman in Philadelphia who set type by hand. Much 34 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: to the printer's surprise, Alexander found two hundred subscribers for 35 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: that poem. That response convinced the men to join forces 36 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: and start a new literary publication. All their own. Subscribers 37 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: would receive a new installment each Saturday, all for the 38 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: low cost of two to three dollars per year, depending 39 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: on whether or not you paid in advance. Atkinson and 40 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: Alexander chose to publish on Saturdays for two reasons. First, 41 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: it would give them the whole week to prepare the 42 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: next issue's content, and second, it would allow the paper 43 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: to reach readers on the weekend when they had the 44 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: most free time. Back then, u s mail was delivered 45 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: twice a day, once in the morning and again in 46 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: the evening. The publishers planned to have each issue printed 47 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: in time for the second mail delivery on Saturdays, and 48 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 1: it's from that schedule that the magazine got its name, 49 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: The Saturday Evening Post. Although it was an entirely new venture, 50 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: the Post still owed a great deal to the past. 51 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: Not only was the paper printed on Ben Franklin's original press, 52 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: it was also written in his same matter of fact style, 53 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: slightly skeptical and high minded, but always with a dash 54 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: of humor. They may have cribbed from the past when 55 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: it came to tone, but the Post's young publishers were 56 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: eager to make the paper appealing to readers from all 57 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: walks of life and from places outside of Philadelphia. To 58 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: that end, they included stories on just about everything, from 59 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: business and foreign affairs to fashion and etiquette. The poetry 60 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: that helped launch the paper remained a fixture as well, 61 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: with much of it contributed by readers who hoped to 62 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: see their own names in print. The Post steered clear 63 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: of political controversies to avoid ruffling feathers, but it did 64 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: include more innocuous political content, such as letters exchanged between 65 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 1: former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. With that variety 66 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: of content, you might assume The Saturday Evening Post had 67 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: a sizeable staff, but that wasn't the case. Instead, the 68 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: Post reprinted much of its content from other newspapers. That 69 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: was a common practice at the time and it still 70 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 1: is today, with multiple publications running the same story in 71 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: different regions and markets. The Post included new writing as well, 72 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 1: some of which was no doubt reused by other papers. 73 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: That free sharing of content sometimes gave bizarre local interest 74 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: stories a much larger platform than they may have warranted. 75 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: For instance, consider this not so newsworthy story that The 76 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 1: Saturday Evening Post picked up from a Connecticut newspaper. It reads, quote, 77 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: there is now residing in Stafford a man by the 78 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: name of Nolan, who is at present married to his 79 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: twenty sixth wife, and has by the whole seventy three children. 80 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 1: He is one hundred and five years of age, and 81 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: his present wife is now pregnant. That silly and somewhat 82 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: disturbing story has been making the rounds in various sources 83 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: since the eighteen twenties, and I'm proud to carry on 84 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:36,359 Speaker 1: that tradition today. In all fairness, though the content of 85 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: the Post steadily improved as the paper grew. Before long 86 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: it featured plenty of high quality writing, including the works 87 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: of beloved American authors such as Edgar Allan, Poe Washington, Irving, 88 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 1: Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Mark Twain. Those new voices helped 89 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: increase the magazine circulation to about ninety thousand readers in 90 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: the eighteen fifties and sixties. Unfortunate Lee, the Saturday Evening 91 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: Post lost its luster by the late eighteen hundreds, when 92 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: it started to lean too heavily on trivia, fashion news 93 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: and reprinted articles with no fresh, enticon content to keep 94 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: subscribers invested. The post circulation dwindled to just over two 95 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: thousand readers by the late eighteen nineties. Ownership of the 96 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: paper had changed hands several times by then, and at 97 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: the turn of the twentieth century, it was Cyrus Curtis's 98 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: turn at the Helm. Curtis was the founder of Ladies 99 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: Home Journal, which was the first American magazine to reach 100 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: a circulation of one million readers. He hoped to work 101 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: that same magic on the Post by revamping both its 102 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: content and its style. He started by doing away with 103 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 1: a reliance on reprinted content and by commissioning full color 104 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: illustrations for every issue's cover. Within a year, that new 105 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: direction had boosted the Saturday Evening Post to two hundred 106 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: and fifty thousand subscribe ibers. Eight years later, in eight 107 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: Curtis reached his goal of one million readers, a well 108 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: earned payoff considering the publisher had already invested more than 109 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: one point two million dollars in the Post. George Lorimer 110 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: was another person key to the success of the magazine's relaunch. 111 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: As editor, he strived to find the best writers of 112 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: the day and made sure to pay them promptly as 113 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: a way to foster loyalty. This approach attracted a whole 114 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 1: new crop of talented authors, including Jack London, Joseph Conrad, 115 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: and Oh Henry Lorimer was also responsible for selecting many 116 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: of the post's iconic covers. He featured many famous artists 117 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: during his thirty seven year tenure, such as Andrew Wyath, 118 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: George Hughes, and J. C. Linedecker. However, the Post's most 119 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: famous cover artist by far was Norman Rockwell. He did 120 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: his first cover for the magazine in nineteen sixteen, and 121 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: over the course of the next five deack cades he 122 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: went on to produce a total of three hundred and 123 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: twenty one covers, leaving an indelible impression on generations of readers. 124 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: With Curtis and Lorimer leading the way, the Saturday Evening 125 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: Post continued to grow its circulation throughout the first half 126 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,119 Speaker 1: of the twentieth century. The magazine peaked in the early 127 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: nineteen sixties with about seven million readers, but thanks to 128 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 1: the rise of television and a crop of new competing magazines, 129 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: the Post's readership had cratered by the end of the decade. 130 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 1: The magazine closed up shop in nineteen sixty nine, but 131 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 1: was revived just two years later, although now as a 132 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: quarterly publication. The Saturday Evening Post had been saved again, 133 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: but it's two year laps in publication had cost it 134 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: the title of America's oldest continuously published magazine. That honor 135 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: now belongs to Scientific American, which was founded in eighteen 136 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 1: forty five. It's glory days may be behind it, but 137 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: the Saturday Evening Post still lives on. It continues to 138 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,200 Speaker 1: be published on a bi monthly basis by a nonprofit 139 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 1: group dedicated to keeping this historic institution alive. The current 140 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 1: iteration of the magazine features a similar blend of news articles, 141 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 1: works of fiction, and humorous illustrations. The dedicated staff has 142 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: also created an online archive of the magazine's full existing backlog. 143 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 1: So if you're jonesing for more weird, old timey consent 144 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: like that report about the hundred and five year old 145 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: father to be, while the Saturday Evening Post has still 146 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: got you covered, I'm Gabeluier and hopefully you now know 147 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 148 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: If you have a second and you're so inclined, consider 149 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at T D 150 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: I HC Show. And if you have any comments or suggestions, 151 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: you can always send them my way at this Today 152 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 1: at I heart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays 153 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: for producing the show, and thank you for listening. I'll 154 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: see you back here again tomorrow for another day in 155 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: history class.