Black History Month Magazines: Our World

Our World was a slick, over-sized lifestyle and celebrity magazine for the African American community, founded by civil rights activist John P. Davis in 1946 (Lena Horne was on the first cover).  It was originally subtitled “A Picture Magazine for the Negro Family,” but later changed the slogan to “A Picture Magazine for the Whole Family.” Our World also featured stories on politics, sports, and social issues, and was noted for its striking photography. Davis had been active in the Harlem Renaissance, working on the legendary one-shot Fire! literary and arts magazine, and in 1935 helped found the National Negro Congress, an umbrella group of civil rights organizations. Davis’s activities with the Congress later landed him in trouble during the anti-Communist hysteria of the early 1950s, and Our World eventually folded in 1957.

See a collection of Our World covers here and here.

Read more about John P. Davis here.

Black History Month Magazines: Sepia, Hep, Jive, Bronze Thrills

Sepia, Hep, Jive, and Bronze Thrills were all magazines published for the African American community by Good Publishing, based in Fort Worth, Texas. Good Publishing was owned by George Levitan, who was white. Sepia was founded in 1947 as Negro Achievements, but later changed its named and modeled itself as a black version of Life magazine. It continued publishing until 1983. There is an extensive archive of Sepia photographs that has been collected in the African American Museum in Dallas,.

In addition to Sepia, Good Publishing had a batch of sensational-style magazines, including Bronze Thirlls (“My Husband Was a Transvestite”), Jive (“Lust in My Eyes”), and Hep.

Thanks to Dull Tool Dim Bulb for many of these covers.

See more Jive and Bronze Thrills covers at 16 Stone Vintage.

Black History Month Magazines: Sepia, Hep, Jive, Bronze Thrills

Sepia, Hep, Jive, and Bronze Thrills were all magazines published for the African American community by Good Publishing, based in Fort Worth, Texas. Good Publishing was owned by George Levitan, who was white. Sepia was founded in 1947 as Negro Achievements, but later changed its named and modeled itself as a black version of Life magazine. It continued publishing until 1983. There is an extensive archive of Sepia photographs that has been collected in the African American Museum in Dallas,.

In addition to Sepia, Good Publishing had a batch of sensational-style magazines, including Bronze Thirlls (“My Husband Was a Transvestite”), Jive (“Lust in My Eyes”), and Hep.

Thanks to Dull Tool Dim Bulb for many of these covers.

See more Jive and Bronze Thrills covers at 16 Stone Vintage.