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Curtis Publishing Company

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Curtis Publishing Company
Company typePrivate
IndustryPublishing
Founded1891 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
FounderCyrus H. K. Curtis
Headquarters
Philadelphia
,
United States
ProductsMagazines including Ladies' Home Journal, The Saturday Evening Post, The American Home, Holiday, Jack & Jill, Country Gentleman; comic books via Novelty Press

Curtis Publishing Company, established in 1891 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a prominent American publisher throughout the early 1900s. Its notable titles encompassed Ladies' Home Journal, The Saturday Evening Post, The American Home, Holiday, Jack & Jill, and Country Gentleman.

During the 1940s, Curtis ventured into the comic book market via its imprint, Novelty Press. Over time, the company experienced decline, leading to the sale or discontinuation of numerous publications. Currently, it operates as Curtis Licensing, overseeing the rights to its magazine covers and associated artwork.

19th century

The origins of Curtis Publishing trace back to its founder, publisher Cyrus H. K. Curtis, who initiated the People's Ledger in Boston in 1872 before moving operations to Philadelphia in 1876. He laid the groundwork for a significant publishing firm by launching the Tribune and Farmer in 1879. His wife, Louisa Knapp Curtis, contributed by creating the women's section and serving as editor of the influential Ladies' Home Journal from 1883 until 1889.

In 1897, Curtis purchased The Saturday Evening Post for $1,000 and developed it into a leading national magazine. The publication’s lineage can be traced back to Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette established in 1728. Following acquisition, its subscriber base grew from 2,000 to over one million by 1906, eventually reaching six million by 1960. Under editor George Horace Lorimer, the magazine attracted premier writers and illustrators such as Norman Rockwell, J. C. Leyendecker, and John La Gatta, securing its reputation during America's Golden Age of Illustration.

20th century

In 1911, Curtis Publishing created one of the earliest market research departments led by Charles Coolidge Parlin, focusing on consumer insights.[1]

By 1929, Curtis reported record profits totaling $21 million on revenues of $84 million.[2]

This market research unit was later separated into National Analysts, providing services to both business and governmental clients.[1]

In 1946, Curtis introduced Holiday, a publication centered on travel narratives and photographic essays.[3]

The advent of television during the late 1940s and early 1950s significantly diminished readership for mass-appeal magazines like the Post and Journal, adversely affecting Curtis’s earnings.[2] By the fiscal years 1961-62, Curtis encountered substantial financial setbacks, recording losses of $4.2 million on $178.4 million revenue in 1961 and an $18.9 million deficit on $149 million revenue in 1962.[2] To mitigate these challenges, Curtis secured a $10.5 million loan facilitated by Serge Semenenko, known for restructuring Hearst Corporation.[2]

Industry experts attributed Curtis’s downturn to its limited diversification compared to competitors such as Time, Inc. and McCall Corporation, which expanded into television broadcasting and book publishing sectors. Curtis remained heavily dependent on its flagship periodicals The Saturday Evening Post and Ladies' Home Journal, while other titles including Holiday, Jack & Jill, and American were insufficient to compensate for revenue declines. By 1942, the Post had lost its top position to Life and suffered a prolonged drop in advertising after World War II; similarly, by 1960, Ladies' Home Journal ceded market share to McCall's.[2] The magazines primarily appealed to older audiences less favored by advertisers targeting younger families and refrained from aggressive subscription campaigns.[2] Additionally, Curtis’s vertically integrated printing operations imposed financial burdens during economic downturns.[2]

Veteran editors Ben Hibbs (of the Saturday Evening Post) along with Bruce and Beatrice Gould (of the Ladies' Home Journal) retired amid these difficulties.[2] Subsequent editorial leadership changes failed to halt circulation declines; efforts to refresh content with provocative articles yielded mixed outcomes.[2] Ted Patrick, editor of Holiday, cautioned that severe budget cuts would compromise editorial quality.[4]

In 1964, Curtis obtained an additional $5.5 million loan aimed at funding new editorial ventures.[5]

Facing creditor pressure in 1968 from institutions including First National Bank of Boston, Perfect Film extended a $5 million loan to Curtis. To reduce debt burdens, the company sold its Philadelphia headquarters for $7.3 million through a sale-leaseback arrangement.[6]

That same year, Curtis divested itself of Ladies' Home Journal and The American Home by selling them to Downe Communications for $5.4 million in stock, which was subsequently liquidated for operational funds.[7] The subscriber list of six million from the Post was sold to Life as part of a transaction involving cash payments, loans, and service agreements. Unable to secure a buyer for the magazine itself, Curtis discontinued publication of the Saturday Evening Post in 1969.[8][9]

That year also saw Perfect Film acquire Curtis Circulation Company.[8]

In 1976, The Saturday Evening Post Society was formed as a spin-off from Curtis to revive publication of its flagship title. Additionally, U.S. Kids was founded to oversee its collection of children’s magazines.[10]

21st century

In the current century, Curtis Publishing capitalizes on its extensive archive comprising 4,000 magazine covers and artwork contributed by over 500 artists through its division, Curtis Licensing. The company licenses iconic Norman Rockwell cover paintings along with other images for use in advertising campaigns, memorabilia, fine art reproductions, greeting cards, collectible figurines, and various keepsakes. This strategy underpins their business approach centered on the commercialization of intellectual property.

Properties and subsidiaries

Curtis Center and Dream Garden

Curtis Publishing established its main offices in 1910 at the intersection of South Sixth and Walnut Streets near Independence Hall. The headquarters, designed by Edgar Viguers Seeler in the Beaux Arts architectural style, occupies an entire city block and incorporates administrative offices, printing facilities, and storage areas. A significant renovation was carried out in 1990 by Oldham and Seltz in collaboration with John Milner Associates.

Inside the building, notable design features include a tiered waterfall fountain, an atrium adorned with artificial Egyptian palm trees, and the expansive glass-mosaic mural titled Dream Garden. Created by Maxfield Parrish and fabricated by Louis Tiffany along with Tiffany Studios in 1916, this mosaic consists of 100,000 individually hand-set Favrile glass pieces in 260 different hues. Commissioned by Edward Bok during his leadership as Senior Editor, the artwork was first displayed in New York before being permanently installed in the lobby.

In 1998, casino entrepreneur Steve Wynn acquired the mosaic with plans to move it to Las Vegas. However, local historians and art preservationists successfully raised $3.5 million—supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts—to retain the piece in Philadelphia. Presently, ownership rests with the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, highlighting the company’s enduring cultural contribution within its historic headquarters.

See also

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named naxionthinking.com
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  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Time
  7. ↑ Bedingfield, R. E.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named nym
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named tch
  10. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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