Editing McCall's

{{Short description|Defunct monthly American women's magazine}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title           = McCall's
| logo            = 
| logo_size       = 
| image_file      = McCalls1911-03.jpg
| image_size      = <!-- (defaults to user thumbnail size if no size is stated) -->
| image_alt       = 
| image_caption   = Cover of ''McCall's'' magazine (1911)
| editor          = 
| editor_title    = 
| previous_editor = 
| staff_writer    = 
| photographer    = 
| category        = [[Women's magazine]]
| frequency       = Monthly
| circulation     = 
| publisher       = 
| founder         = James McCall 
| founded         = 
| firstdate       = {{Start date|1873}} 
| finaldate       = {{End date|2002}}
| company         = 
| country         = [[United States]]
| based           = 
| language        = 
| website         = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| issn            = 1060-1201
| oclc            = 
}}
'''''McCall's''''' was a monthly [[United States|American]] women's [[magazine]], published by the [[McCall Corporation]]''',''' that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. The publication was established as a small-format magazine called '''''The Queen''''' in 1873. In 1897 it was renamed '''''McCall's Magazine—The Queen of Fashion''''' (later shortened to ''McCall's'') and subsequently grew in size to become a large-format glossy. It was one of the "[[Seven Sisters (magazines)|Seven Sisters]]" group of women's service magazines.

''McCall's'' published fiction by such well-known authors as [[Alice Adams (writer)|Alice Adams]], [[Lester Atwell]], [[Ray Bradbury]], [[Gelett Burgess]], [[Willa Cather]], [[Jack Finney]], [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]], [[Barbara Garson]], [[John Steinbeck]], [[Tim O'Brien (author)|Tim O'Brien]], [[Tony J. Caridi]], [[Anne Tyler]] and [[Kurt Vonnegut]].

==Features==
From June 1949 until her death in November 1962, [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] wrote a ''McCall's'' column, "If You Ask Me". The former First Lady gave brief answers to questions sent into the magazine.<ref>''McCall's'' 100th Anniversary Issue. April 1976.</ref>

Starting in May 1951, and lasting until at least 1995,<ref>[http://www.thebleudoor.com/betsymccallhome.htm Betsy McCall Paper Dolls]</ref> Betsy McCall paper dolls were printed in most issues. Children could cut out the printed dolls and clothing, or for a small fee (10¢ in 1957, 25¢ in 1967) paper dolls printed on cardboard could be ordered. Betsy McCall became so popular that various sized vinyl dolls were produced by [[Ideal Toy Company|Ideal]] and [[American Character Doll Company|American Character Dolls]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Twentieth Century Dolls From Bisque to Vinyl|url=https://archive.org/details/moretwentiethcen02ande|url-access=registration|author=Johana Gast Anderton|date=1974}}</ref>

Another popular feature which ran for many years was the [[Gag cartoon|cartoon panel]] ''It's All in the Family'' by [[Stan and Jan Berenstain]].

A pair of pioneering female illustrators, [[Jessie Willcox Smith]] and [[Neysa McMein]], drew dozens of ''McCall's'' cover portraits.

Film critic [[Pauline Kael]] worked at ''McCall's'' from 1965 to 1966, and was reportedly fired after writing a highly unfavorable review of ''[[The Sound of Music (film)|The Sound of Music]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pauline Kael, Provocative and Widely Imitated New Yorker Film Critic, Dies at 82|date=September 4, 2001|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

== Publication history ==

===Sewing patterns and ''The Queen of Fashion''===
In 1870, Scottish immigrant James McCall began designing and printing his own line of sewing patterns. As a means of advertising his patterns, McCall founded a four-page fashion journal entitled ''The Queen: Illustrating McCall's Bazaar Glove-Fitting Patterns''.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book|title=Women's Periodicals in the United States—Consumer Magazines|first1=Kathleen L. |last1=Endres |first2=Theresa L. |last2=Luech|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|date=1995}}</ref>

When McCall died in 1884, his widow became president of McCall Company, and hired Mrs. George Bladsworth as magazine editor. Mrs. Bladsworth held the position until 1891. Though still mainly a vehicle to sell McCall's sewing patterns, ''The Queen'' began to publish homemaking and handiwork information, and by 1890 had expanded to 12 pages.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

In 1891, the magazine's name became ''The Queen of Fashion'', and the cost for a year's subscription was 30 cents. In 1893, James Henry Ottley took over the McCall Company. He increased the subscription price to 50 cents a year, increased the number of pages to between 16 and 30 per issue, and began to publish articles on children's issues, health, beauty, and foreign travel.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> In order to reflect the magazine's expanded range of topics, the name was changed to ''McCall's Magazine—The Queen of Fashion'' in 1897. In time, the name would be shortened to ''McCall's.''

Despite the name changes, for many years information on McCall's patterns filled an average of 20 percent of the magazine's pages.<ref>''McCall's Magazine—The Queen of Fashion'', Oct. 1909, ''McCall's Magazine'', Aug. 1914, Jan. 1915, May 1916</ref>

===''McCall's Magazine''===
[[File:McCalls Magazine Fashion Print c 1916.jpg|thumb|left|Fashion 1916 in ''McCall's'']]
In 1913, the magazine was purchased by the banking firm of [[White Weld & Co.]], which organized the [[McCall Corporation]] under the direction of president Edward Alfred Simmons. In 1917, the price was raised to 10 cents per issue.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> In 1922, Harry Payne Burton became editor, and for the first time such well-known fiction writers as [[Kathleen Norris]], [[Harold Bell Wright]], [[Zane Grey]] and [[Booth Tarkington]] had stories published in McCall's.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

In 1928, the 23-year-old associate editor, Otis Wiese, was promoted to editor. He believed "women were ready for more significant fiction than [[Gene Stratton-Porter]]" and suggested that McCall's sell Burton's acquisitions of popular fiction to ''[[Ladies Home Journal]]'' and ''[[Woman's Home Companion]]''. Such radical ideas caused Wiese to be fired at least six times within his first year as editor, but he was always rehired because, as he put it, "there was no one else around the place with ideas."<ref name="Time 1947">{{cite magazine|title=The Press: Man In a Woman's World|date=January 6, 1947|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref>

[[File:McCall Homemaking Cover, Jinx Falkenberg in Calif..jpg|thumb|''McCall's'' Homemaking cover (1938): [[Jinx Falkenburg]]]]
In 1932, Wiese changed the format to what he called Three Magazines in One. Three sections—News and Fiction, Homemaking, Style and Beauty—had their own cover, and each contained ads tailored to its contents.<ref name="Time 1947"/> A survey was conducted that showed fiction was a major attraction for female magazine readers, and in 1937 ''McCall's'' became the first women's magazine to print a complete novel in one issue.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite book|title=A History of Popular Women's Magazines in the United States, 1792–1995|first=Mary Ellen |last=Zuckerman |publisher=Greenwood Press|year=1998}}</ref>

[[Pearl Harbor]] was attacked on December 7, 1941, and Otis Wiese immediately revamped the February 1942 issue then in preparation. A frilly valentine cover was replaced with a woman wearing an "I've Enlisted" consumer pledge button. Readers were asked to sign a pledge that stated "As a consumer, in the total defense of democracy, I will do my part to make my country ready, efficient and strong. I will buy carefully. I will take good care of the things I have. I will waste nothing." Within three weeks, 150,000 readers signed the pledge and sent in a coupon printed in the magazine. During World War II, all women's magazines took on a patriotic slant, but ''McCall's'' received much positive press coverage for being the first magazine to do so.<ref>{{cite news|title=Women's War|date=March 7, 1942|work=[[Business Week]]}}</ref> ''McCall's'' began a "Washington Newsletter" section, which provided information on rationing and conservation.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

During the post-war era, fiction was no longer such an important draw for readers; they wanted more articles and picture spreads. To provide lively nonfiction Wiese hired two former ''Look'' magazine editors. Daniel Danforth Mich became editorial director, and Henry Ehrlich was named managing editor.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Press: To the Ladies|date=September 11, 1950|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref>

''McCall's'' Three Magazines in One format was discontinued in 1950.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> In 1954 Wiese began to reformat ''McCall's'' with a "Togetherness" slogan; it was announced that the magazine would no longer be just for women, but aimed at the entire family. During this time period paid circulation was 4.5 million per issue.<ref>{{cite book|title=Magazines in the United States|url=https://archive.org/details/magazinesinunite00wood|url-access=registration|edition=Second|first=James Playsted |last=Wood|publisher=The Ronald Press Company|year=1956}}</ref>

In 1953, financier [[Norton Simon]] began purchasing shares of McCall Corporation, and in 1956, Simon's group of investors was in control of the corporation.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

In 1958, Simon named [[Arthur B. Langlie]] as president of the company. Otis Wiese, who had been vice president, as well as editor and publisher of ''McCall's'', had expected to be named president. When Langlie was named to the position, Wiese and a number of staffers resigned in protest.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> A ''Business Week'' article stated "The house of togetherness had come apart at the seams."<ref>{{cite news|title=Rival Women's Magazines Near Hair-Pulling Stage|date=October 1, 1960|work=[[Business Week]]}}</ref> Simon replaced Wiese with [[Herbert Mayes]], who had been editor of ''Good Housekeeping''.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

Mayes did away with the "Togetherness" slant, and came up with a new slogan, "First Magazine For Women."<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He introduced additional color pages, and used more fiction. In 1962 Mayes became president and CEO of McCall Corporation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Herbert Mayes, 87, a Former Top Editor of Magazines, Dies|date=November 1, 1987|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

From 1962 to 1965, John Mack Carter was editor of ''McCall's''. Under his leadership, circulation rose to 8.4 million, making it the third most popular magazine in the United States after ''[[Reader's Digest]]'' and ''[[TV Guide]]''.<ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=November 27, 1963|page=10|title=U.S. Magazine Circulation}}</ref> In 1965, Carter left to become editor of ''Ladies' Home Journal''. A rapid succession of editors followed Carter, including Robert Stein and James Fixx.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

In 1969, ''Life'' magazine columnist [[Shana Alexander]] was named editor. Alexander had no editing experience, and at the time of her appointment stated "I have to educate myself about women's magazines, but I think I know something about women."<ref>{{cite news|title=Lady At the Top|date=April 28, 1969|work=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref> Alexander left in 1971.

Robert Stein was editor from 1972 to 1986. During Stein's tenure, ''McCalls'' gained the slogan / subtitle "The Magazine for Suburban Women."<ref name="ReferenceB"/> After Stein left, the quick turnover of editors returned.

===Change in ownership===
Ownership of ''McCall's'' began to change nearly as fast as editors came and went. Norton Simon sold ''McCall's'' to the [[Pritzker family]] in 1973. Norton Simon kept the McCall pattern business, which continues under different ownership.<ref>{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| last = Maidenberg| first = H. J.| title = Chicagoan Buying McCall's Magazine| work = The New York Times| access-date = July 21, 2018| date = September 24, 1973| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1973/09/24/archives/chicagoan-buying-mccalls-magazine-redbook-excluded.html}}</ref> In 1986, McCall's Publishing Company was bought by [[Time Inc.]] and Lang Communications.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Time Buys Into Women's Market| work = tribunedigital-chicagotribune| access-date = July 21, 2018| url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/11/21/time-buys-into-womens-market/}}</ref> In 1989, ''McCall's'' was sold to [[The New York Times Company]], and in 1994, German-based [[Gruner + Jahr]] announced plans to purchase their magazine business.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Gruner + Jahr rebranded the magazine as ''Rosie'' before selling it to Meredith Corporation in 2003. Throughout these transitions, the McCall pattern business remained separate and continued under different ownership.

===Renaming to ''Rosie'' and cancellation ===
In 2000, entertainer [[Rosie O'Donnell]] became editorial director of ''McCall's''.<ref name="People 2002">{{cite news|first=Stephen M. |last=Silverman |title=Rosie Pulls Plug on Her Own Magazine|url=http://people.com/celebrity/rosie-pulls-plug-on-her-own-magazine/ |date=September 18, 2002|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref> In 2001 ''McCall's'' was renamed ''[[Rosie O'Donnell#Rosie magazine|Rosie]]''.<ref name="dves">{{cite book|author=David E. Sumner|title=The Magazine Century: American Magazines Since 1900|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J7g9PgL_No0C&pg=PA214|access-date=August 19, 2015|year=2010|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=978-1-4331-0493-0|page=214}}</ref> O'Donnell stated, "I wanted a magazine that celebrates real women, that understands that they care about more than waistlines or the latest makeup styles or fashions, that they want to be relevant and help each other and care about the world."<ref name="People 2002"/>

''Rosie'' ceased publication at the end of 2002. O'Donnell said in a statement, "I decided I could not participate in a magazine that bears my name when I could not be assured it would reflect my vision, values and editorial direction."<ref name="People 2002"/> After publication of the long-running magazine ended, a highly publicized legal battle between O'Donnell and the publisher, [[Gruner + Jahr]], began in 2003. Ultimately, the judge ruled against both sides and dismissed the case. Gruner + Jahr exited the U.S. magazine business in 2005, selling its women's magazine portfolio to the [[Meredith Corporation]] and its business magazine portfolio to Mansueto Ventures.

== Golden Mike Awards ==
{{distinguish|Golden Mike Award|Golden Mic Awards}}
From 1951 to 1967, ''McCall's'', in partnership with [[American Women in Radio and Television]] (AWRT), presented the Golden Mike Award for Women in Radio and Television, making it the first "magazine with a national circulation which has ever paid tribute to the public service record of any group in radio and television," with the Golden Mikes being "the only awards given exclusively to women Broadcasters and Executives for public service accomplishments in the communications field."<ref name=Keane>{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.umd.edu/LAB/exhibits/leadingrole/HFK-gallery9.html|title=Helen Faith Keane - Digital Gallery - 9 of 16|accessdate=October 16, 2011|year=2005|work=Taking a Leading Role: Helen Faith Keane|publisher=Library of American Broadcasting, University of Maryland Libraries}}</ref> Award criteria were based "exclusively on civic engagement, community service, charity, health and safety.... Judges were commissioners of education, presidents of women's clubs, and [[United States Senate|senators]]."<ref name=ART>{{Cite web|last=Fritz|first=José|url=https://tenwatts.blogspot.com/p/golden-mike-awards.html|title =Golden Mike Awards|publisher= ARCANE RADIO TRIVIA|date=March 5, 2018}}</ref> The 1964 awards ceremony was held in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]].<ref name=Keller />

Notable Golden Mike Award-winners included: 
* 1951 [[Helen Reichert]] for ''FYI: The Helen Faith Keane Show''<ref name=Keane />
* 1953 [[Agnes Moorehead]], for her one-woman show ''Sorry, Wrong Number'' and its several subsequent re-recordings for ''[[Suspense (radio drama)|Suspense]]''<ref name=ARTlist>[https://tenwatts.blogspot.com/p/golden-mike-awards.html "Golden Mike Awards,"] Arcane Radio Trivia. Retrieved January 13, 2023.</ref>
* 1954 [[Judith C. Waller]]<ref name=ARTlist /> for ''[[Ding Dong School]]''
* 1956 [[Pauline Frederick (journalist)|Pauline Frederick]]<ref>{{Cite book  | last = Marzolf  | first = Marion  | title = Up From The Footnote: A History of Women Journalists  | url = https://archive.org/details/upfromfootnotehi0000unse  | url-access = registration  | publisher = Hastings House, Publishers  | year = 1977  | location = New York  | pages = [https://archive.org/details/upfromfootnotehi0000unse/page/162 162] | isbn = 9780803875029 }}</ref>
* 1957: 
** [[Helen Duhamel]] of [[KOTA-TV]]<ref name=ARTlist />
** [[Alma Vessells John]] — the first Black woman to receive the award<ref>{{cite news |ref={{harvid|''The San Antonio Register''|1958}}|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Mrs. Alma Vessells John: Golden "Mike" Winner |url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth399553/m1/3/zoom/?resolution=2&lat=4113.132127978086&lon=2792.21366055014 |access-date=September 26, 2020 |agency=[[Associated Negro Press]] |date=May 23, 1958 |newspaper=The San Antonio Register |location=San Antonio, Texas |page=3}}</ref>
* 1959 Marge Miner of [[KQTV]] for her series of programs on cerebral palsy<ref name=ART /><ref>"Mrs. Miner Receives Television Award," ''[[St. Joseph News-Press]]'' (April 24, 1959), page 19.</ref>
* 1960:
** [[Lillian Brown]]<ref name=ARTlist />
** [[Pauline Frederick (journalist)|Pauline Frederick]] — 2× winner<ref name=ARTlist />
* 1964:
** [[Lucy Jarvis (producer)|Lucy Jarvis]] of the [[NBC network]]
** [[Ruth Lyons (broadcaster)|Ruth Lyons]]<ref name=Keller>{{cite journal|last=Keller|first=Cynthia|date=Winter 1995|title=Mother: Cincinnati's Million-Dollar Housewife|journal=Queen City Heritage|volume=53|issue=4|publisher=Cincinnati Historical Society|issn=0194-2883|page=38}}</ref>
** [[Marlene Sanders]] of [[WNEW-TV]]<ref name=ARTlist />
* 1965:
** [[Genie Chance]] for her coverage of the 9.2-magnitude 1964 Alaska earthquake<ref name="juneauempire.com2">{{cite web|date=May 21, 1998|title=Obituaries - Genie Chance|url=http://juneauempire.com/stories/052198/obit.html#.WkA-BVWnGUk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225092151/http://juneauempire.com/stories/052198/obit.html#.WkA-BVWnGUk|archive-date=December 25, 2017|work=[[Juneau Empire]]|accessdate=December 24, 2017}}</ref><ref name="consortiumlibrary.org2">{{cite web|title=Guide to the Genie Chance papers – Archives and Special Collections|url=https://archives.consortiumlibrary.org/collections/specialcollections/hmc-0084/|website=archives.consortiumlibrary.org}}</ref><ref name="state.ak.us">{{cite web|title=Genie Chance|url=http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/100years/bio.php?id=1004|website=w3.legis.state.ak.us|publisher=[[Alaska Legislature]]|location=[[Juneau, Alaska]]|accessdate=December 24, 2017}}</ref>
** [[Betty Lou Varnum]] for her series ''Status 6'', which focused on the struggles of the handicapped in Iowa
* 1967 [[Lucy Jarvis (producer)|Lucy Jarvis]] of the [[NBC network]] — 2× winner<ref name=ARTlist />

==References==
{{Reflist|33em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|McCall's Magazine}}
*[http://www.thebleudoor.com/betsymccallhome.htm Betsy McCall Paper Dolls]
*[https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=mccalls ''McCall's Magazine'' archive]

{{sewing}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mccall's}}
[[Category:Defunct fashion magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Monthly magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct women's magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1897]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 2002]]
[[Category:Defunct women's fashion magazines published in the United States]]