Introduction: Physicality and Personality

After the introduction class, I found two subjects of particular interest. The first being that of the physicality of each magazine. It was interesting to learn the prices, page length, and materials of each text, and how they were used to booster consumerism. In relation to magazine physicality, I’d like to learn more about how text prices escalated as advertisements were included, and how it created an economic sphere within the little magazine community.

The second subject I found of interest was the personal lives of the magazine contributors. Particularly that of Audrey Beardsley and his alleged “involvement” with Oscar Wilde. After public scandal of Wilde’s legal case, Audrey was forced out of the Yellow Book and published The Savoy with Arthur Symons. I find this interesting because I believe that an artist’s personal life affects their work. I’d like to learn more about artists like Beardsley and discover how their histories and their societal expectations influenced their art in magazines. It will be interesting to uncover the relationship between artist and author in little magazines and ask questions like: Who wrote this and who illustrated the accompanying image? Why did the author choose to draw it like that? Does the text influence the image, or vice versa? What cultural, societal, or personal expectations were influencing the writer or artist at the time of creation?