Reading period access: From May 1 to May 13, access to the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center and the Fisher Fine Arts Library will be limited to PennCard holders and other Penn affiliates. Find more information.

Collage of Ebony Magazine Covers.
Ebony Magazine Covers

During much of the 20th century there was no greater bearer of mass market culture in the United States than the popular magazine, which was designed for a general audience across geographical regions and was not limited by the form or function of newspapers, books, or specialty publications.  These magazines are essential resources for studying social, cultural and political trends and thoughts.  The Libraries recently added two of the most important U.S. mass market magazines to its online collection.

Ebony Magazine Archive (1945-2014)
Ebony is one of the key Afro-American magazines of the 20th century, covering current events, art, design, politics and culture, literature, advertising. The Ebony Magazine Archive contains indexing, abstracting and full text for the complete archive (including Covers, [photographs], and Advertisements).

Esquire Magazine Archive (1933-2014)
The Esquire Magazine Archive consists of complete cover to cover coverage of the award-winning major men’s magazine. It includes more than 900 issues providing a broad view of 20th-Century American and cultural currents.

Both archives can be searched through Ebsco, which also search Businessweek, Forbes, Fortune, The Nation, The New Republic, The National Review, Time, and the Saturday Evening Post. 

Many of the Libraries' mass media periodicals are conveniently listed here.

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April 30, 2020

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