The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine, 1852-74

In 1852 Samuel Beeton persuaded his wife, Isabella, to join him in a new publishing venture, a monthly paper called The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine. Initially priced at 2d, this was the first cheap magazine for young middle-class women, and it was an immediate commercial success, with an advertised circulation of 50,000 copies by 1856. Isabella contributed notes on cookery and fashion, but the contents also included a wide range of serial fiction, biographical sketches, gardening and medical tips (including some useful advice on birth control), and an irresistible correspondence page.

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