Magazines
Illustrated magazines are an excellent source for historical images of lifestyles, popular culture, clothing, consumer products, home furnishings, design, cars, and technology. Unless otherwise indicated, magazines in this list are published in Canada.
The following list is a selection of some of the older illustrated magazines, kept on Level 5 and in Special Collections on Level 7 of the Central Library.
- The current two years of magazines are held on Level 5 alphabetically by title; bound volumes of older issues are also shelved on Level 5.
- To retrieve back issues of magazines, speak to the staff at the information desk or call a staff member using the telephone on each floor. Staff will retrieve the magazine for you.
- Microform holdings are arranged by call number in the microfilm and microfiche cabinets at the north end of Level 5.
- Special Collections on Level 7 keeps both the current and older issues of magazines in its collection.
General Magazines
General Magazines
| TITLE | ADS & IMAGES | CALL # | DATES HELD |
|---|---|---|---|
| L'Actualite' | Cars, clothing, liquor ads | 050 A1881F | 1976 to date |
| American Magazine (US) | Cars, cameras, cosmetics, clothing, typewriters, social conditions | 050 A5 | 1914-1956 |
| Atlantic Advocate | Industrial equipment, fisheries, historical illustrations, people in Atlantic Canada | 050 A881 | 1956-1992 |
| Busy Man's Magazine | Cosmetics, clothing, medicines, photographs and drawings of people | 050 M16 | microfilm 1905-1911 |
| Canada's History (Was Beaver) | Drawings, paintings and photographs of Canadian history. Published by Hudson's Bay Co. | 050 B38 | 1924 to date |
| Canadian Business | Office equipment, men and women in work situations | 650.5 C21 | 1931 to date |
| Canadian Magazine of Politics, Science, Art, and Literature | Appliances, cars, cigarette ads, clothing, food | 050 C21 | 1894-1939 |
| Canadian Methodist Magazine | Black & white drawings and photographs of people and places in Canada and around the world. | 050 C2133 | 1875-1903 |
| Canadian Weekend | Cars, cigarette & liquor ads, food | 050 C2123 | 1971-1982 |
| Coronet (US) | Mostly black and white drawings and photographs of people. Similar to Reader's Digest. | 050 C82 | 1936-1937; 1949-1959; microfilm 1959-1961 |
| Country Guide | "The Farm Magazine". Farm equipment, cars, clothing, food | 630.5 C85 | 1938- |
| Ebony (US) | Cars, cigarette ads, clothing, cosmetics "Most widely read African American magazine in US." | 050 E16 | 1968 to date |
| Life (US) | Appliances, cars, cigarette ads, clothing Human interest stories | 050 L72 | 1936-1972 |
| Life (US) | Appliances, cars, cigarette ads, clothing Human interest stories | 050 L721 | 1978 to 2000 |
| Maclean's | Appliances, cars, cosmetics, clothing, medicines, photographs and drawings of people, early radios Older issues have some pictures of homes and kitchens | 050 M16 | 1927 to date; microfiche 1976 to date; microfilm 1911-1975 |
| Le Magazine Maclean | Cars, cigarette ads, French version of Maclean's | 050 M18f | 1961-1976 |
| New Yorker (US) | Liquor ads, cars, clothing | 050 N5327 | 1949 to date |
| Newsweek (US) | Business equipment, cars, clothing, liquor ads photographs of prominent people | 050 N55 | 1935 to date |
| Parents' Magazine (US) | Children's clothing, food, house plans in early issues | 649.105 P22 | 1936 to date |
| Saturday Evening Post (US) | Cars, cigarette ads Norman Rockwell covers | 050 S2543 050 S2544 |
1946-1962; microfilm 1959-1969 1971-1992; microfiche 1971 to date |
| Saturday Night | Cars, cigarette and liquor ads "Popular news-oriented magazine" | 050 S25 in Oversize Compact Shelving | 1932 to date; microfilm 1910-1987; microfiche 1988-1994 |
| Sunset | Appliances, cars, gardens, home improvement and house plans, food, travel | 050 S95 | 1916-1931; 1954 to date (1932-1953 missing) |
| Time | Business equipment, industrial companies, liquor ads, televisions | 050 T58 | Oct-Dec 1938; Oct-Dec 1941; 1943 to date |
| Time (US) | Business equipment, industrial companies, liquor ads | 050 T58a | 1936-1942; microfilm 1923-1938; microfiche 1939-1959; microfilm 1960 to date |
| Weekend Magazine (Vancouver Sun magazine section) | Appliances, cars, clothing, food, tobacco ads (also in Vancouver Sun microfilm) | 050 W39 | 1951-1979; 1951-1 979 |
| The World's Work: a history of our time (US) | Photographs of people and places, pictures of people of different classes working in different parts of the world, social conditions | 050 W92 | 1900-1932 Missing Nov. 1902 - April 1903 |
Clothing and Fashion Magazines
Clothing and Fashion Magazines
| TITLE | ADS & IMAGES | CALL # | DATES HELD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clothier and Haberdasher | Men's clothing, interiors of retail stores, window displays and signs | 391.105 C64 | 1924-1932 |
| GQ:Gentlemen's Quarterly (US) | Cigarette ads, clothing, cosmetics | 646.305 G33 | 1964 to date |
| Harper's Bazaar (US) | Cigarette ads, clothing, cosmetics | 646.05 H29 | 1956-1970; 1980 to date |
| Men's Wear of Canada | Men's clothing | 658.8705 M54 | 1956-1986 |
| Shoe and Leather Journal / Canadian Footwear Journal | Shoes and shoe stores | 338.4705 S559LE | 1923-1929; 1979- |
| Style | "The Canadian Women's and Children's Wear Newspaper" | 338.4705 S93CL | 1961- |
| T: The New York Style Magazine | "A magazine dedicated to style" | 705 T11 | Current two years |
| Vogue | Clothing, cosmetics | 391.05 V88 | 1957 to date; microfilm 1892-1956 |
| WWD: Women's Wear Daily | Trade magazine for the retail side of fashion | 658.9 CL6wo | Microfilm 1911-1926 and 1976-2000; in print 1972-1974 |
Women's and Home Magazines
Women's and Home Magazines
| TITLE | ADS & IMAGES | CALL # | DATES HELD |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Home (US) | Home furnishings, house plans, home improvement projects, kitchens and bathrooms | 720.5 A51 | 1928-1978 |
| Better Homes and Gardens (US) | Appliances, cigarette ads, home furnishings, food, "Do it yourself" projects | 720.5 B56 | 1945 to date |
| Canadian Homes and Gardens | Appliances, cars, liquor ads, floor plans and photographs of exteriors and interiors of Canadian homes including some from B.C. | 720.5 C21 | 1927-1962 |
| Chatelaine | Clothing, food, home furnishings "...aimed at the working wife and mother who is looking for practical advice on raising her family." | 050 C49 | March 1944; June 1953; 1961 to date |
| Echoes | Clothing, photographs of women, early issues have advertisements for feminine hygiene products, "Official publication of IODE" | 050 E18 | 1938 to date |
| Good Housekeeping (US) | Appliances, clothing, cosmetics, food | 640.5 G64 | 1938 to date |
| House and Garden (US) | Appliances, floor plans, furniture, gardening supplies, home furnishings | 720.5 H84 | 1916-1993; 1998- |
| House Beautiful (US) | Cigarette ads, home furnishings, floor plans, photographs of rooms | 720.5 H842 | 1916 to date |
| Interiors (US) | Interiors of homes, offices, public buildings | 740.5 I61 | 1948 to 2001 |
| Ladies' Home Journal (US) | Clothing, home cleaning supplies and equipment, house plans and furnishings | 640.5 L15 | 1912-1916 |
| Ladies' Home Journal (US) | Appliances, clothing, cigarette ads, cosmetics, food | 640.5 L15 | 1955 to date |
| Living for Young Homemakers (US) | Appliances, babies & children, floor plans, furniture, life style pictures | 720.5 L78 | 1948-1961 |
| Rosie (Was McCall's (US) | Cigarette ads, clothing, cosmetics, food Title changed to "Rosie" on May 2001 | 050 M11 | 1970 to date |
| Seventeen (US) | Teen magazine, clothing, cosmetics | 646.05 S49 | 1970 to 1995; 2002 to date |
| Vancouver Life | Clothing, home and office interiors, floor plans, food, liquor and cigarette ads | 720.5 W52V | 1965-1970 |
| Western Living (Title varies) | Clothing, home and office interiors, floor plans, food, liquor and cigarette ads | 720.5 W527 | 1971 to date |
| Western Homes and Living | Clothing, home and office interiors, floor plans, food, liquor and cigarette ads | 720.5 W52 | 1950-1966 |
Science and Technology Magazines
Science and Technology Magazines
| TITLE | ADS & IMAGES | CALL # | DATES HELD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Family Physician | Biology, anatomy | 610.69505 C21 | 1989 to date |
| Mechanix Illustrated/Home Mechanix/Today's Homeowner Solutions (US) | Cars, cigarette ads, home furnishings, tools | 605 M48 | 1953 to date |
| Nature | Aeroscience, biology, chemistry, archeology | 505 N28 | 1970 to date; microfilm 1969 |
| The New England Journal of Medicine | Biology, anatomy, medical procedures | 610.5 N53 | 1980 to date |
| Popular Mechanics (US) | Airplanes, cars, woodworking projects, inventions from airplanes to kitchen gadgets | 605 P83 | 1903 to date; microfilm 1902-1922 |
| Popular Science Monthly (US) | Airplanes, appliances, cars, furniture, tools Ads for gadgets and Get Rich Quick Schemes. Very few pictures or ads in 1872-1915 issues | 505 P83 | 1872-1915; 1936 to date |
| Scientific American (US) | Airplanes, boats, cars, home furnishings, scientific inventions, tools Issues missing between 1878-1893 and 1895-1899 | 605 S41 | 1866-1902; 1923 to date; microfilm 1845-1923 |
Car Magazines
Car Magazines
| TITLE | ADS & IMAGES | CALL # | DATES HELD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Rod (US) | Cars, restored vintage cars | 799.805 H83 | 1963 to date |
| Motor Trend (US) | Cars and car engines | 629.205 M91 | 1965 to date |
| Road and Track (US) | Cars, cigarette ads, motorcycles | 799.805 R62 | 1955 to date |
Special Collections Magazines
Special Collections Magazines
| TITLE | ADS & IMAGES | CALL # | DATES HELD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska History (US) | Photographs from the Alaska Historical Society | 979.8005 A32 | 2000 to date |
| Avalanche Echoes | Alpine Club of Canada photographs | 799.905 A94 | 1940 to date |
| B.C. Historical Quarterly | British Columbia historical photographs | 971.1 B862 | 1937 to date |
| B.C. Mountaineer | Mountaineering images and ads | 799.9 B862 | 1979-1982 |
| Beautiful British Columbia | Photographs of B.C.'s natural diversity. Tourism ads. | 917.11 B38 | 1968-2002 (online: 2002-) |
| Canada's History (Was Beaver) |
Drawings, paintings and photographs of Canadian history. Published by Hudson's Bay Co. | 050 B38 | 1920-2005 |
| Bentley's Miscellany (UK) | Black & white drawings illustrating short stories | 050 B47 | 1837-1868 |
| British Columbia Historical News | British Columbia history | 971.1005 B86b | 1968-2004 |
| Columbia (US) | Washington State Historical Society photographs | 979.705 C72 | 2001-2005 |
| Discovery | Photographs from the Royal British Columbia Museum | 069.05 N55 | 1982-2004 |
| Fraser's Magazine (UK) | Socio-historical literary magazine with black & white illustrations | 050 F84 | 1830-1882 |
| Gentleman's Magazine (UK) | Prints illustrating contemporary buildings and items of interest like fossils, brass monuments, etc. | 050 G33 | 1736-1883 |
| Heritage B.C. Newsletter | Heritage Society of British Columbia photographs | 720.9711 H54 | 1990 to date |
| Heritage Vancouver Society | Heritage Vancouver Society photographs, includes historic buildings | 720.9711 H5483 | 199? to date |
| Illustrated London News (UK) | Illustrations of British history and social conditions from 1842 to current | 050 I297 | 1842-2003 |
| Oregon Historical Quarterly(US) | Oregon Historical Society photographs | 979.5 O66q | 1900 to date |
| Pacific Northwest Quarterly (US) | Photographs of the Pacific Northwest | 979.705 P11 | 1936 to date |
| Punch (UK) | Political, social and historical cartoons capturing British life in the 19th and 20th centuries | 050 P98 | 1841-1992 |
| RBM: A Journal of Rare Books and Manuscripts (US) | Conservation related illustrations and ads | 025.17105 R27 | 2000 to date |
| Roedde House Museum Newsletter | Roedde House related photographs | 720.9711 R71 | 199? to date |
| Sketch (UK) | Illustrations and photographs representing British social life in the 20th century | 050 S62 | 1893-1957 |
| Tatler (UK) | "Britain's social magazine", a mix of fashion, beauty, style and social trends, the focus is on the lives of the world's celebrities | 050 T21 | 1901 to date |
| Vancouver | Photographs and ads representing all aspects of Vancouver | 971.133 V2232 | 1975 to date |
| Vancouver Historical Society | Vancouver Historical Society photographs | 971.1005 V22n | 1996 to date |
| Western Vancouver Island Industrial Heritage Society | Photographs of Vancouver Island | 385.09 S765 | 1997 to date |
| Westworld | Cars, motorists, travel and ads | 050 W5381 | 1961 to date |