Liberty – February 11, 1939

Description

This is the February 11, 1939 issue of Liberty magazine. It features a humorous cover illustration, contains 68 pages and measures approximately 8.5 x 11.5 inches.
The cover articles are “The World Crisis” by Anthony Eden (a future British Prime Minister), “Dark Soul: The Secret of Coster-Musica’s Crimes” and “Hollywood Thanks Hitler.” The issue contains other articles, short stories, serials, etc. There are black & white illustrations and photos, as well as vintage black & white and color advertisements (including a great Coca-Cola ad).
Liberty was a weekly, general-interest magazine, originally priced at five cents and subtitled, "A Weekly for Everybody." It was launched in 1924 by McCormick-Patterson, the publisher until 1931, when it was taken over by Bernarr McFadden until 1941. At one time it was said to be "the second greatest magazine in America," ranking behind The Saturday Evening Post in circulation. It featured contributions from some of the biggest politicians, celebrities, authors and artists of the 20th-century. The contents of the magazine provide a unique look into popular culture, politics and world events through the Roaring 20s, Great Depression, World War II and Post-War America.
Liberty Magazine was founded in 1924 by cousins Colonel Robert Rutherford McCormick and Captain Joseph Medill Patterson, owners and editors of the Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News respectively. In 1924, the owners held a nationwide contest to name the magazine offering ,000 to the winning entry. Among tens of thousands of entries, Charles L. Well won with his title Liberty "A Weekly for Everybody."
The publication was constantly losing money under the family duo, though achieving high circulation. It is believed to have lost McCormick and Patterson as much as million over the course of their ownership, and as a result, it was sold to Bernarr McFadden in 1931.
Under McFadden's early leadership, the magazine was a strong proponent of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and an article proclaiming him to be physically fit to hold office may have held substantial sway in the outcome of the election. McFadden led the magazine to considerable success, until it was discovered in 1941 that he had been falsifying circulation reports by as many as 20,000 copies to increase advertising revenue. John Cuneo and Kimberly-Clark Paper company took over for McFadden in 1941 and righted the indiscretions, but ad revenues would never recover.
Following the lead of The Saturday Evening Post, in 1942 Liberty increased its price from five to ten cents, resulting in a huge drop in circulation and advertising revenue. In 1944, the magazine was passed on to Paul Hunter, and until its final publication in 1950, a number of different owners would try to revive its former popularity, to no avail.