The American Weekly

The American Weeklywas aSunday newspaper supplementpublished by theHearst Corporationfrom November 1, 1896, until 1966.

The American Weeklyissue from September 25, 1955, withMarilyn Monroeon the cover. (from the Dave Riebeek Collection)

History

During the 1890s, publications were inserted intoJoseph Pulitzer'sNew York WorldandWilliam Randolph Hearst'sNew York Journal.Hearst had the eight-pageWomen's Home Journaland the 16-pageSunday American Magazine,which later becameThe American Weekly.In November 1896, Morrill Goddard, editor of theNew York Journalfrom 1896 to 1937, launched Hearst's Sunday magazine, later commenting, "Nothing is so stale as yesterday's newspaper, butThe American Weeklymay be around the house for days or weeks and lose none of its interest. "

Magazine and illustration historian Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr. outlined the contents and detailed the publication's leading illustrators:

It was billed as having a circulation of over 50,000,000 readers and was filled with scantily clad showgirls and tales of murder and suspense. It was large—about 21 "x 15" —and printed on fragile newsprint, so few copies have survived the ensuing decades... While much of each 12-24-page issue was taken up with sensationalistic photos and text (and even some acknowledged fiction), the illustrations are generally top-notch... Cover artists includeHoward Chandler Christy,James Montgomery Flagg,Nell Brinkley,A. K. Macdonald, C. D. Mitchell, Léon Bakst, Erté, Lee Conrey, Fish,Russell Patterson,Henry Raleigh, José Segrelles,G. E. Studdyand lots more. The best (and most) of the interior art is by the amazing Lee Conrey. Our collection runs from 1918 to 1943 and issues from 1923 through 1943 have his work. It's clear to me that he was a major influence onVirgil Finlayand probably onAlex Raymond.Thousands of his sensational pen and ink drawings appear in these issues... If you've seen the bookVirgil Finlay in The American Weekly,you have an inkling of the type of work he's done for these issues between the years 1938 and 1943... Nothing was too farfetched to speculate upon if it could offer the possibility of a good picture. Finlay and Conrey both provided lots of imaginative drawings. Other regular contributors included Joe Little, Gordon Ross, Edmund Frederick, Ben Jorj Harris, et al, and I've turned up occasional work by John R. Flanagan,Orson Lowell,Otto Soglow... The ads were often spectacular. Not to imply that the following list is typical, but we have found a couple of large color ads each so far byWilly Pogany,N. C. Wyeth,McClelland Barclay, Matt Clark, Dean Cornwell, Bradshaw Crandell, John Lagatta, Andrew Loomis, Rose O'Neill,Norman Rockwelland others.

The name was changed toPictorial Livingin 1963 before it was finally cancelled in 1966. Due to the low quality of the paper on which it was printed, many issues have been lost despite the large circulation. As a result, it has become a collectors item.

Papers that carriedThe American Weekly

Here is a partial list of newspapers that carriedThe American Weeklyas a supplement,which often can be viewed archivally online and by microfilm.

• New York Journal-American
• Buffalo Courier Express
• Cincinnati Enquirer
• Times Union(Albany)
• Syracuse Herald-Journal

See also

• National Enquirer
• Parade
• This Week
• USA Weekend