Women have been important contributors to and readers of magazines since the development of the periodical press in the nineteenth century. By the mid-twentieth century, millions of women read the weeklies and monthlies that focused on supposedly "feminine concerns" of the home, family and appearance. In the decades that followed, feminist scholars criticized such publications as at best conservative and at worst regressive in their treatment of gender norms and ideals. However, this perspective obscures the heterogeneity of the magazine industry itself and women's experiences of it, both as readers and as journalists. This collection explores such diversity, highlighting the differing and at times contradictory images and understandings of women in a range of magazines and women's contributions to magazines in a number of contexts from late nineteenth century publications to twenty-first century titles in Britain, North America, continental Europe and Australia.

Women have been important contributors to and readers of magazines since the development of the periodical press in the 19th century. By the mid-20th century, millions read the weeklies and monthlies that focused on the home, family and appearance. These publications have been criticized as conservative, even regressive in their treatment of gender norms and ideals. This perspective obscures the heterogeneity of the magazine industry itself and women's experiences of it, both as readers and as journalists. This collection highlights the differing, and at times contradictory, images and understandings of women in a range of magazines, from the 19th century to the present.

"A part of Routledge's Research in Gender and History series, Women in Magazines is "not simply about women's magazines" but rather about "the position of women in magazines" (p. 1). An anthology of women's depictions in-as well as contributions to- magazines, the volume contains essential readings for media and feminist scholars as well ashistorians. In the classroom, the collection could provide fodder for discussions in upperlevel undergraduate or graduate level courses in magazine media, journalism, and women and gender studies. Individual chapters would also be at home as required reading for a variety of history courses in either upper-level undergraduate or graduate programs." - Catherine Staub, Drake University