Wednesday, June 04, 2008

June Victorias

I have a tradition of getting out the old issues of Victoria. Here are ten years worth of issues beginning with the premier issue in 1988.

This is the cover of one of the first issues in 1988.

Here is a look inside of the first issue. Now you know why so many people were sentimental about the original Victoria magazines.


For online Victoria newsletter go here http://www.victoriamag.com/

There is a blogger in Germany here http://ein-stueck-garten.blogspot.com/search/label/Creative%20Sewing who does lovely hand work. It is an inspiration to look at!

12 comments:

Mom of Five said...

Have you gotten the new Victoria magazine yet? I had never read the older ones, but my library had several of the books (holiday, decorating) that were collabarations of the magazines, and I adored all of them.

When I heard Victoria was coming back, I got the first issue for free, and I was sadly disappointed. It held tons of ads, too many compared to the articles, and the magazine as a whole didn't seem to be much different from Better Homes and Gardens. I was just hoping for something more classic and less modern.

Lydia said...

I think one factor is the paper quality. If you compare the paper to the older ones, it is thinner and has a cheaper feel...whereas the older ones felt special to the touch. You wouldn't be tempted to set a coffee cup on top of one or tear out a page or clip anything. Also the older ones had frames around the features, and sometimes they included a scripture from the poetry section of the Bible (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiates). The photography was by a Japanese man who really had an eye for detail and theme and beauty. The sketches and drawings were something that made my daughter curl up with the book and just stare at them...in this day and age, kids don't concentrate on things as long, and so the book held a lot of value to me because of its values of beauty and refinement. Also they did a feature every March where they travelled to England and wrote about some of England's authors, poets, artists, gardeners, architects. It was Victoria that was in part responsible for the great tea revival in America.

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

I like the new Victoria but you are right about the paper quality.

So many magazines are doing the same thing. I received my latest copy of Southern Living yesterday and it has gone to that kind of paper. Just isn't the same.

candy said...

Those were so pretty! I miss the Old Victoria. I have a subscription to the new Victoria but its just not the same to me at all. Im actually a little disappointed with their new magazine.
Look how lovely the covers are in your picture. I miss that.

Candy

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I have all my old Victoria Magazines as well! Including the one you showed. I love them, and am enjoying the new Victoria Magazine!

Mrs. U said...

Oh how I wish I had kept all my old Victoria Magazines!!!!!!! What was I thinking????

I subscribe to the new Victoria, but it isn't the same, in my opinion. :(

Enjoy them for me!

His,
Mrs. U

The Mrs. said...

Oh to own all the back issues that would be wonderful. I will go visit that link
gracious thanks
The Mrs.

Anonymous said...

I love Victoria.

Lady Lydia, is there still a way to get those magazines that used to be listed in your side-bar that were like Victoria, but for girls? I don't remember the name, but I was planning to order some after a while, and now I don't see them listed. Thank you,

Julielou

Lydia said...

Thanks for reminding me. I completely forgot to place the ad on the side when I last cleaned up the blog. I'll try to put that one up again and another one I like.

Anonymous said...

This magazine is the best magazine ever! I adore the older editions much more than the new "revamped" edition. However, I am thankful that Hoffman Media has put it out on the market. Have you always been a subscriber?

Thank you for your beautiful blog. I rarely, if ever, comment, but know that I stop by here nearly daily, as my time permits.

Have a blessed day!
~Mrs. Bryan Ginter

Anonymous said...

It was good of Hoffman Media to revive a beloved title, but I too felt it was much too advertisement-driven. Many of the "articles" are just longhanded ads rather than having content, and the writing is not of the same quality. I do hope they improve. Years back, I took Victoria and Southern Lady (another Hoffman title) and found the same contrast. And I too wish I had kept my original Victorias!

Lydia said...

NOt everything was good about the older issues. Only the first year or two was really wholesome, and then the ads started coming...the ads that made it no different than cosmo or bhg...just junky looking ads. At least they could have tried to make up an ad that looked like a Victorian ad, with borders around it and Victorian etchings or art...instead it was ads for liquor and ads for cars and ads for nylong stockings, along with all the gaudy colors and brash designs...just didn't fit in with that new magazine. I could never sell mine on ebay because I altered those ads by using clip art over them, and sometimes if two ads were facing pages, I simply glued the pages together..dont' think that would be worth much. Even the first year had ads that just didn't fit with the tone of the magazine.



My daughter had an article at The Pleasant Times about trade cards and ads today, and how they need to give us something worth looking at. I can't tell you the amount of paper they waste that comes in my mail. We recycle some of it, and some of it has good cardstock (glossy, high grade paper--how can they afford that? People just throw it out) and we use it by altering it. YOu can go to her blog to see how we do that.