Town & Country (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Town & Country, formerly the Home Journal and The National Press, is a monthly American
lifestyle magazine
. It is the oldest continually published general interest magazine in the United States.
and New York Evening Mirror
newspaper editor George Pope Morris
, as The National Press in 1846. Eight months later, it was renamed The Home Journal.. After 1901, the magazine title became "Town & Country" and it has retained that name ever since.
Throughout most of the 19th century, this weekly magazine featured poetry, essays, and fiction. As more influential people began reading it, the magazine began to include society news and gossip in its pages. After 1901, the magazine continued to chronicle the social events and leisure activities of the North American landed aristocracy
such as debutante
or cotillion
balls, and also reported on the subsequent "advantageous marriages" that came from people meeting at such social engagements.
The magazine's earlier readership initially consisted of members of the Establishment. This includes older wealthy families of New York
, Boston Brahmins or those people in other parts of the United States whose surnames may have appeared in the Social Register
.
Willis owned and edited the magazine from 1846 until his death in 1867.
acquired ownership in 1925. The first editor under Hearst ownership was Harry Bull. He edited the magazine from 1925 through 1949. Henry B. Sell became Bull's successor.
The magazine is still owned and published by the Hearst Corporation
.
Today, the magazine is published monthly, and its readership is composed of mainly younger socialites, café society
, and middle class
professionals.
Most of the advertising copy in the magazine is for luxury goods and services. The feature articles and photography focus primarily on fashion
, arts, culture, interior design, travel, weddings, parties, gala events and other interests and concerns of the upper class
.
In May 1993, Pamela Fiori became the first woman editor-in-chief of Town & Country magazine. During her tenure, Fiori has been credited with increasing circulation in several ways, including making the magazine more fashion forward and, in recent years, making philanthropy
more of a priority for the magazine.
Fiori also has pushed for more diversity in the magazine's coverage. In an effort to play down the magazine's perceived snobbish and elitist WASP
, or preppy
image, more celebrities have been showing up on the magazine covers, and there has been an increase in the number of articles showcasing the events and weddings of socially prominent persons of African-American descent, as well as the social activities of people of other ethnicities.
On April 6, 2010 Fiori was replaced by Steven Drucker as the Editor In Chief of the magazine.http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/town-countrys-pamela-fiori-out-in-editor-shuffle/
, wedding and lifestyle guidebooks have also published by the magazine. Among the most recent books published by the magazine is "Modern Manners: The Thinking Person's Guide to Social Graces," released in 2005 and edited by Town & Country senior editor Thomas Farley
.
In 2003, Town & Country released Town & Country Weddings, which is published twice yearly.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lifestyle magazine
Lifestyle magazine
Lifestyle magazine is an umbrella term for popular magazines concerned with lifestyle. There is no universally accepted definition of what constitutes a lifestyle magazine: it is often used to encompass a number of men's magazines, women's magazines and magazines about health and fitness, tourism,...
. It is the oldest continually published general interest magazine in the United States.
Early history
It was founded by poet and essayist Nathaniel Parker WillisNathaniel Parker Willis
Nathaniel Parker Willis , also known as N. P. Willis, was an American author, poet and editor who worked with several notable American writers including Edgar Allan Poe and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He became the highest-paid magazine writer of his day. For a time, he was the employer of former...
and New York Evening Mirror
New York Mirror
The New-York Mirror was a weekly newspaper published in New York City from 1823 to 1842, and again as a daily newspaper renamed The Evening Mirror from 1844 to 1898.-History:...
newspaper editor George Pope Morris
George Pope Morris
George Pope Morris was an American editor, poet, and songwriter.-Life and work:With Nathaniel Parker Willis, he co-founded the daily New York Evening Mirror by merging his fledgling weekly New York Mirror with Willis's American Monthly in August 1831...
, as The National Press in 1846. Eight months later, it was renamed The Home Journal.. After 1901, the magazine title became "Town & Country" and it has retained that name ever since.
Throughout most of the 19th century, this weekly magazine featured poetry, essays, and fiction. As more influential people began reading it, the magazine began to include society news and gossip in its pages. After 1901, the magazine continued to chronicle the social events and leisure activities of the North American landed aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
such as debutante
Debutante
A débutante is a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. It should not be confused with a Debs...
or cotillion
Cotillion
In American usage, a cotillion is a formal ball and social gathering, often the venue for presenting débutantes during the débutante season – usually May through December. Cotillions are also used as classes to teach social etiquette, respect and common morals for the younger ages with the...
balls, and also reported on the subsequent "advantageous marriages" that came from people meeting at such social engagements.
The magazine's earlier readership initially consisted of members of the Establishment. This includes older wealthy families of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Boston Brahmins or those people in other parts of the United States whose surnames may have appeared in the Social Register
Social Register
Specific to the United States, the Social Register is a directory of names and addresses of prominent American families who form the social elite, . The "Directory" automatically includes the President of the United States and the First Family, and in the past always included the U.S. Senators and...
.
Willis owned and edited the magazine from 1846 until his death in 1867.
Modern history
After Willis's death, the magazine went through several owners and editors until William Randolph HearstWilliam Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
acquired ownership in 1925. The first editor under Hearst ownership was Harry Bull. He edited the magazine from 1925 through 1949. Henry B. Sell became Bull's successor.
The magazine is still owned and published by the Hearst Corporation
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
.
Today, the magazine is published monthly, and its readership is composed of mainly younger socialites, café society
Café Society
Café society was the collective description for the so-called "Beautiful People" and "Bright Young Things" who gathered in fashionable cafes and restaurants in New York, Paris, and London beginning in the late 19th century...
, and middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
professionals.
Most of the advertising copy in the magazine is for luxury goods and services. The feature articles and photography focus primarily on fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
, arts, culture, interior design, travel, weddings, parties, gala events and other interests and concerns of the upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
.
In May 1993, Pamela Fiori became the first woman editor-in-chief of Town & Country magazine. During her tenure, Fiori has been credited with increasing circulation in several ways, including making the magazine more fashion forward and, in recent years, making philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
more of a priority for the magazine.
Fiori also has pushed for more diversity in the magazine's coverage. In an effort to play down the magazine's perceived snobbish and elitist WASP
White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
White Anglo-Saxon Protestant or WASP is an informal term, often derogatory or disparaging, for a closed group of high-status Americans mostly of British Protestant ancestry. The group supposedly wields disproportionate financial and social power. When it appears in writing, it is usually used to...
, or preppy
Preppy
Preppy, preppie, or prep refers to a modern, widespread United States clique, often considered a subculture...
image, more celebrities have been showing up on the magazine covers, and there has been an increase in the number of articles showcasing the events and weddings of socially prominent persons of African-American descent, as well as the social activities of people of other ethnicities.
On April 6, 2010 Fiori was replaced by Steven Drucker as the Editor In Chief of the magazine.http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/town-countrys-pamela-fiori-out-in-editor-shuffle/
Spin-off
In September 2003, a spin-off magazine entitled Town & Country Travel appeared. It is published quarterly. In September 2007, Town & Country Travel launched a travel website, and its staff travel blog. There is a special edition of the magazine focusing on wedding planning. In the past decade, several etiquetteEtiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
, wedding and lifestyle guidebooks have also published by the magazine. Among the most recent books published by the magazine is "Modern Manners: The Thinking Person's Guide to Social Graces," released in 2005 and edited by Town & Country senior editor Thomas Farley
Thomas Farley
Thomas P. Farley is a manners expert and radio and television personality and journalist.Farley is the editor of the anthology Modern Manners: The Thinking Person's Guide to Social Graces , a guide to mannerly living that includes essays by Peggy Noonan, Frank McCourt and Jamie Lee Curtis...
.
In 2003, Town & Country released Town & Country Weddings, which is published twice yearly.