Editorial Haynes

Editorial Haynes

Company type	Private
Industry	Publishing
Founded	1904
Founder	Alberto M. Haynes
Headquarters	Buenos Aires , Argentina
Area served	Argentina, Latin America
Key people	Alberto M. Haynes (founder), Henry Wesley Smith (manager after 1929), Carlos Aloe (Grupo ALEA leader)
Products	Magazines and newspapers including El Hogar, Mundo Deportivo, Mundo Argentino, Mundo Agrario, Mundo Infantil, El Mundo newspaper
Number of employees	3000
Parent	Grupo ALEA (from 1948)

Editorial Haynes was an Argentine publishing house established by Alberto M. Haynes in 1904. The company issued numerous periodicals including El Hogar, Mundo Deportivo, Mundo Argentino, Mundo Agrario, Mundo Infantil, as well as the newspaper El Mundo, among various other titles.

Its headquarters were situated at the intersection of Rio de Janeiro and Bogotá streets in Almagro, Buenos Aires. In 1948, Grupo ALEA, led by Peronist figure Carlos Aloe, acquired a 51% stake in Editorial Haynes, thereby obtaining controlling interest. Following the Revolución Libertadora coup that terminated Juan Perón's second presidency, the Military Government seized the company's building and assets. Some of its staff members sought refuge by relocating to Mexico.

Recognized as one of Latin America’s foremost publishers during its era, Editorial Haynes holds a significant place in Argentina’s publishing history.

Origins

The enterprise began when Alberto Haynes—an English immigrant who arrived in Argentina in 1887 and was employed by the Buenos Aires Western Railway—met with Ricardo Claudio Magnussen, his former teacher. Haynes agreed to purchase a Minerva printing press for Magnussen to initiate a family-oriented magazine. This collaboration resulted in the 1904 launch of El Consejero del Hogar (which later became known simply as El Hogar). After initial difficulties, Haynes reoriented the publication toward Argentina’s elite, emphasizing their traditions, social gatherings, and way of life. This strategic pivot transformed El Hogar into a bestseller and Argentina’s leading magazine, distinguished as the first to present color covers.

Building on this achievement, Haynes expanded his portfolio with titles like Mundo Argentino (initially managed by Constancio C. Vigil before founding Editorial Atlántida), Mundo Agrario (focused on agriculture), Mundo Infantil (children’s content), and Mundo Deportivo (sports coverage).

In December 1923, Editorial Haynes inaugurated its Buenos Aires headquarters at Rio de Janeiro and Bogotá streets, outfitted with state-of-the-art printing machinery. Two years later, it launched its inaugural humor magazine, Don Goyo, under the direction of Conrado Nalé Roxlo and featuring early work by Roberto Arlt.

On May 14, 1928, Haynes debuted its first newspaper, El Mundo, a tabloid delivering domestic and international news enriched with numerous photographs and illustrations. Offered at half the price of rival papers and featuring weekly contests awarding M$N1,000 prizes based on Primera División football results, it rapidly gained traction. Roberto Arlt contributed his renowned "Aguafuertes Porteñas" columns to the publication.

Following Alberto Haynes’ passing on June 21, 1929, management passed to his son-in-law Henry Wesley Smith until Juan Perón assumed power. At its zenith, Editorial Haynes employed approximately 3,000 workers.

Growth into radio

The El Mundo brand extended into radio broadcasting with the establishment of "Radio El Mundo" in 1935, marking Argentina’s first significant media conglomerate. Haynes constructed a dedicated facility on Maipú street comprising seven studios and two auditoriums seating 500 each. The station featured an orchestra performing live during broadcasts and offered diverse programming including classical music, jazz, tango, alongside popular shows such as "Glostora Tango Club" and "Radio Show," which was transmitted live before an audience. It also broadcast live Primera División football matches and boxing events held at Estadio Luna Park.

With nationwide reach through affiliated provincial stations, El Mundo showcased prominent performers like Niní Marshall, Luis Sandrini, Lola Membrives, Zully Moreno, and Narciso Ibáñez Menta. Esteemed announcers included Juan Carlos Thorry, Antonio Carrizo, and Cacho Fontana. Live performances featured musicians such as Aníbal Troilo, Alfredo De Angelis, Atahualpa Yupanqui, and Los Chalchaleros. Additionally, the station produced beloved radio dramas like "Los Pérez García" (1942–1967), which became a legendary fixture in Argentine broadcasting.

Impact of Peronism

In 1947, the Perón administration took control of Editorial Haynes by acquiring a majority 51% share through Grupo ALEA, headed by Carlos Aloe. This acquisition redirected the publisher's editorial stance to closely align with Peronist ideology. Under government influence, Haynes introduced politically driven titles such as Mundo Peronista and revived the satirical magazine P.B.T., which from 1950 functioned primarily as a vehicle for political propaganda.

The year 1949 marked the addition of Mundo Deportivo, a sports periodical centered predominantly on football and youth tournaments like the "Torneos Evita," an initiative supported by the Eva Perón Foundation. This publication remained active until 1959. That same year, Haynes launched Mundo Infantil, a children’s magazine designed to infuse political messages through illustrated stories and comics featuring notable Argentine historical personalities. Oscar Rubio, who also oversaw the "Torneos Evita," directed this magazine, which produced 141 issues before ceasing in June 1952.

In 1950, Haynes broke new ground by releasing Argentina’s inaugural science and technology magazine, Mundo Atómico. Characterized by avant-garde covers, photographic content, illustrations, and comic strips, it played a significant role in promoting scientific knowledge until 1955.

After the 1955 military coup that removed Perón from power, the dictatorship assumed control of El Mundo before selling it to private investors. The newspaper ultimately discontinued publication permanently in December 1967.

Final years

Starting in 1960, Haynes published Tía Vicenta, a political satire magazine created by caricaturist Juan Carlos Colombres (known as "Landrú"), who had previously contributed as an illustrator for Diario El Mundo. Initially launched in 1957 by Editorial NOPRA, Tía Vicenta became one of the most prominent periodicals in its category. By 1970, it ranked among the top six political and military humor magazines internationally. Haynes issued it as an insert within El Mundo newspaper, with circulation numbers reaching up to 500,000 copies. The Argentine dictatorship shut down the magazine in July 1966 after it portrayed then-de facto president Juan Carlos Onganía as a walrus, an allusion to his distinctive moustache.

Between March 1965 and December 1967, cartoonist Quino published his renowned comic strip Mafalda in El Mundo. Originally created for Mansfield, a home appliance brand, Mafalda made its debut in 1964 within "Gregorio," a supplement to Leoplán magazine.

By the late 1960s, Editorial Haynes faced insolvency, leading to the auction of its assets and property in 1971. The original premises located at Río de Janeiro and Bogotá streets were eventually demolished.

Publications

Editorial Haynes was responsible for producing several notable magazines and newspapers:

Title	Focus	Publication Period
El Hogar	Society	1904–63
Mundo Argentino	Society	1911–?
Don Goyo	Humor	1925–?
Riqueza Argentina	Economy	1927–28
El Mundo	Newspaper	1928–67
Sintonía	Film, actors	1933–1950s
Tía Vicenta	Humor, political satire	1960–66
Mundo Deportivo	Sports	1949–59
Mundo Agrario	Agriculture, animal husbandry	1949–55
Mundo Infantil	Children	1949–56
Mundo Radial	Film, actors	1949–57?
Mundo Atómico	Science and technology	1950–55
PBT	Humor, political satire	1950–55
Mundo Peronista	Pro-Peronism publication	1951–55

notes

Renowned Contributors

Among the distinguished journalists and authors who have contributed to Editorial Haynes' various publications are:

• Jorge Luis Borges (El Hogar, 1936–39)
• Roberto Arlt (El Mundo, Don Goyo)
• Ulises Barrera
• Bernardo Neustadt
• Quino (Tía Vicenta, El Mundo)
• Alberto Gerchunoff (El Mundo)
• Ernesto Sabato
• Horacio Pagani (El Mundo)
• Jacobo Timerman
• Horacio Verbitsky
• Conrado Nalé Roxlo
• Amado Villar
• Aldo R. Vaselli
• Roger Pla