Research Guides: HIST 39703: Historical Methods: Periodicals and Magazines

Contemporary Periodical Literature

Popular peridicals and magazines easily convey the atmosphere of the time in which they were published. Not only the feature articles, but also the illustrations, editorial statements, and advertisements can serve as primary sources.

Magazines and Periodicals

Making of America Periodicals
An impressive online collection of 19th century periodicals and some books.
Pooles’ Index to Periodicals Literature, 1802‐1906
A subject index to articles in 19th century periodicals. Ref AI3 P7.

Readers' Guide Retrospective This link opens in a new window
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Covers: 1890-1982. Indexes the most popular general-interest periodicals published in the United States.
Includes magazines and periodicals such as Time, National Geographic, Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Report, and are covered. Many titles are indexed back to their first issue date. An especially rich source for locating television, theater, film, and book reviews for older works.

Google Books: Magazines
A new initiative to scan 20th century periodicals. Includes titles such as the Crisis, Life, Billboard, and more. Use the Advanced Search in Google Books to limit your search to magazine articles.
Pooles’ Index to Periodicals Literature, 1802‐1906
A subject index to articles in 19th century periodicals. Ref AI3 P7.

HarpWeek: Harper's Weekly Online This link opens in a new window
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Covers: 1857-1912. Provides electronic access to Harper's Weekly, the illustrated 19th century "Journal of Civilization". An important primary resource for examining 19th-century America on a cumulative week-to-week basis. Includes: news stories, illustrations, cartoons. editorials, biographies, literature, opinion, and advertisements.
American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection This link opens in a new window
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Covers: 1684-1912. Offers page images and searchable full text of historical periodical titles drawn from the collections of the American Antiquarian Society.
Harper's Bazaar Archive This link opens in a new window
Covers: 1867-. A searchable archive of the US (1867 to present) and UK (1930-2015) editions of Harper's Bazaar. The issues are reproduced as high-resolution color page images and supported by fully searchable text and article-level indexing. This resource chronicles over 150 years of American, British, and international fashion, culture, and society, supporting researchers by offering unique insights into the events, attitudes, and interests of the modern era.
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Trial Ends: 10/10/2024