Interwar Culture comprises runs of both prominent and lesser-known periodicals published throughout the interwar period, covering various facets of culture, entertainment, fashion, home and family life, world current affairs, class, social and welfare issues. These historically significant and visually rich magazines provide an important insight into these dynamic yet turbulent decades, as well as allowing examination of a growing media industry that both shaped and reflected society.


Including titles published across Britain, the United States, France and Australia, Interwar Culture brings these fascinating magazines together for the first time, enabling more robust, comparative and critical readings in a highly accessible digital environment. 

Not sure where to begin? Read Dr Kirsten MacLeod's essay Using Periodicals for Research of the Interwar Period for comprehensive guidance on approaching periodicals as research material.

 

Montage of front covers

 

Module 1: 1919-1929


The periodicals showcased in Module 1 reflect the social, artistic and cultural dynamism that characterised the 'Roaring Twenties' in fashion, music, literature, dance and entertainment as well as post-war intellectual thought and modernism. As the world emerged from the Great War into a new era, periodicals navigated a myriad of issues such as the ongoing undercurrent of feminism, the muddy waters of post-war recovery and the eternal question of youth and morality.

Module 1 highlights include:

  • Beautiful high fashion visuals from titles such as Femina and Art, Goût, Beauté
  • A hidden gem of the American prohibition movement, The National Advocate
  • High-profile literary works from The Strand, the publication that launched Sherlock Holmes
  • A selection of home interest magazines, including Homes & Gardens, the UK’s first ever home interest magazine launched in 1919
  • Time and Tide, the only British weekly review of the interwar period produced and edited entirely by women - supported by a video lecture given by Dr Catherine Clay
  • The rich history of interwar performing arts from Theatre Magazine, complete with stunning theatre photography
 
Module 2: 1930-1939


Module 2 tracks these cultural shifts through periodicals of the 1930s, a turbulent decade of contradictions. Against a backdrop of the Great Depression, mass unemployment and the rise of fascism, the 1930s also witnessed a renewed and fierce appetite for entertainment and culture seen in the booming film industry, seminal works of art and literature and ground-breaking innovations in technology, architecture and aviation.

 

Module 2 highlights include:

 

Key Themes


The periodicals in this collection are each tagged with themes, allowing users to easily browse the most useful content according to their individual research needs. As many of the magazines in Interwar Culture relate to multiple themes, the editorial team at AM have, in consultation with the Editorial Board, assigned a maximum of two themes to each title. Themes with the highest relevance to each title have therefore been selected to optimise, rather than dilute, discoverability.

Select any of the following links to learn more about each of these themes and explore hand-picked examples of articles within their subject matter.

Material has been sourced from across the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Six source institutions have collaborated with the project to contribute their fantastic collections. Visit our Participating Libraries and Archives, or keep reading for a list of titles supplied by each.

 

The British Library

 

New York Public Library

 

Future PLC

 

Newberry Library

 

State Library of New South Wales

 

Liverpool John Moores University

 

Interwar Culture provides a variety of tools to further aid teaching and research: