Atlántida (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Atlántida was a prominent general interest
and women's magazine published in Argentina
between 1918 and 1970.
, who established the Atlántida Publishing House
in 1918. The company's homonymous weekly would also be its first publication. Atlántida was designed as a news and general interest weekly tailored primarily for women (the company would concurrently launch El Gráfico
, for sports readers, and the children's magazine Billiken
). Vigil named both the publishing house and its flagship magazine from a poem of the same name by Olegario Víctor Andrade, who wrote it as an homage to Americanism
.
Atlántida was an early success, with a circulation of 45,000 of its maiden issue (March 7, 1918), and of 56,000 by the end of the year. Its chief competition was El Hogar, printed by Editorial Haynes since 1904; Atlántida generally appealed to a more upscale
readership, however. Advertisers secured space in the magazine months in advance, and news agents forfeited the right to return unsold copies. Adopting as one of its missions "the destruction of barbaric prejudices which purport women to be inferior," Atlántida featured watercolor images of debonair women on its covers, and featured a women's interest section, En rueda de damas (Ladies' Round). It also included sections on culture and the day's politics, notably El salón de los pasos perdidos (in reference to a pavilion in the Argentine Congress) and a special supplement printed following the 1930 Argentine coup d'état
: La Revolución del 6 de Septiembre. The magazine's editorials, titled La vida que pasa (Life as It Happens) initially reflected Vigil's humanist
views. These editorials opposed World War I
, and advocated for the rights of poor children
, the disabled, and Argentine Amerindians
, among other traditionally disenfranchised groups.
The magazine was also notable for its regular contributors, which included Leopoldo Lugones
, Gabriela Mistral
(from Chile
), and Alfonsina Storni
. A glossy insert, La Semana Gráfica, was added to publish special reports, and the magazine was the first in Argentina to incorporate entry submission contests, whereby once a month readers were invited to submit witty captions for a given photograph; these contests attracted up to 15,000 entries monthly.
Atlántida was eclipsed by its longtime rival, El Hogar, during the 1940s and '50s, and it became a monthly publication. The magazine's distinctive watercolor covers were created by Spanish
illustrator Roberto Martínez Baldrich between 1953 and his death in 1959, after which its covers adopted a news magazine format. Atlántida was affected by competition from a growing number of news magazines in Argentina during the 1960s, notably Panorama, Primera Plana, and Siete Días Ilustrados, among others. The 1965 launch of Gente, a celebrity magazine, by its publishers further diffused its readership, and Atlántida became largely devoted to cultural and current events commentary. The magazine closed in 1970.
General interest
General interest may mean:* of interest to the general public* Common good...
and women's magazine published in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
between 1918 and 1970.
History
The magazine was launched by Uruguayan-Argentine publisher Constancio C. VigilConstancio C. Vigil
Constancio Cecilio Vigil was a Uruguayan-Argentine writer and prominent publisher.-Life and times:Constancio Vigil was born in Rocha, Uruguay, in 1876. His father, a local politician, was forced to relocate to the nation's capital, Montevideo, following a political dispute...
, who established the Atlántida Publishing House
Editorial Atlántida
Editorial Atlántida is a prominent Argentine publishing house and the country's leading magazine publisher and distributor.-Development:Editorial Atlántida's origins began with three magazines founded by an Uruguayan-Argentine journalist, Constancio C...
in 1918. The company's homonymous weekly would also be its first publication. Atlántida was designed as a news and general interest weekly tailored primarily for women (the company would concurrently launch El Gráfico
El Gráfico
-History:El Gráfico was founded on May 30, 1919. Born as a general interest weekly magazine, it became a sports-only publication in 1925. In 2002, it became a monthly....
, for sports readers, and the children's magazine Billiken
Billiken (magazine)
Billiken is a weekly children's magazine in Argentina, the oldest Spanish language magazine for young people. The magazine was founded in 1919 by Constancio C...
). Vigil named both the publishing house and its flagship magazine from a poem of the same name by Olegario Víctor Andrade, who wrote it as an homage to Americanism
Americanism
Americanism may refer to:* Americanization* A word or phrase considered typical of American English, English as spoken in the United States* An attitude or conviction which gives special importance to the nation, national interest, political system, or culture of the United States* Americanism ,...
.
Atlántida was an early success, with a circulation of 45,000 of its maiden issue (March 7, 1918), and of 56,000 by the end of the year. Its chief competition was El Hogar, printed by Editorial Haynes since 1904; Atlántida generally appealed to a more upscale
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
readership, however. Advertisers secured space in the magazine months in advance, and news agents forfeited the right to return unsold copies. Adopting as one of its missions "the destruction of barbaric prejudices which purport women to be inferior," Atlántida featured watercolor images of debonair women on its covers, and featured a women's interest section, En rueda de damas (Ladies' Round). It also included sections on culture and the day's politics, notably El salón de los pasos perdidos (in reference to a pavilion in the Argentine Congress) and a special supplement printed following the 1930 Argentine coup d'état
1930 Argentine coup d'etat
The 1930 Argentine coup d'état also known as the September Revolution by supporters of it, involved the overthrow of the Argentine government of Hipólito Yrigoyen by forces loyal to General José Félix Uriburu...
: La Revolución del 6 de Septiembre. The magazine's editorials, titled La vida que pasa (Life as It Happens) initially reflected Vigil's humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
views. These editorials opposed World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and advocated for the rights of poor children
Child poverty
Child poverty refers to the phenomenon of children living in poverty. This applies to children that come from poor families or orphans being raised with limited, or in some cases absent, state resources. Children that fail to meet the minimum acceptable standard of life for the nation where that...
, the disabled, and Argentine Amerindians
Argentine Amerindians
Argentina has thirty-five indigenous groups or Argentine Amerindians, according to the Complementary Survey of the Indigenous Peoples of 2004, in the first attempt in more than a hundred years that the government tried to recognize and classify the population according to ethnicity...
, among other traditionally disenfranchised groups.
The magazine was also notable for its regular contributors, which included Leopoldo Lugones
Leopoldo Lugones
Leopoldo Lugones Argüello was an Argentine writer and journalist.-Early life:Born in Villa de María del Río Seco, a city in Córdoba Province, in Argentina's Catholic heartland, Lugones belonged to a family of landed gentry...
, Gabriela Mistral
Gabriela Mistral
Gabriela Mistral was the pseudonym of Lucila de María del Perpetuo Socorro Godoy Alcayaga, a Chilean poet, educator, diplomat, and feminist who was the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1945...
(from Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
), and Alfonsina Storni
Alfonsina Storni
Alfonsina Storni was one of the most important Latin-American poets of the modernist period.-Life:Storni was born in Sala Capriasca, Switzerland to an Argentine beer industrialist living in Switzerland for a few years. There, Storni learned to speak Italian...
. A glossy insert, La Semana Gráfica, was added to publish special reports, and the magazine was the first in Argentina to incorporate entry submission contests, whereby once a month readers were invited to submit witty captions for a given photograph; these contests attracted up to 15,000 entries monthly.
Atlántida was eclipsed by its longtime rival, El Hogar, during the 1940s and '50s, and it became a monthly publication. The magazine's distinctive watercolor covers were created by Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
illustrator Roberto Martínez Baldrich between 1953 and his death in 1959, after which its covers adopted a news magazine format. Atlántida was affected by competition from a growing number of news magazines in Argentina during the 1960s, notably Panorama, Primera Plana, and Siete Días Ilustrados, among others. The 1965 launch of Gente, a celebrity magazine, by its publishers further diffused its readership, and Atlántida became largely devoted to cultural and current events commentary. The magazine closed in 1970.