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Guide to the Time Inc. Records Overview1853-2015 MS 3009

Time Inc. Records Overview

Call Number

MS 3009

Date

1853-2015, inclusive

Creator

Time, inc.

Extent

4404.22 Linear feet

Language of Materials

The documents in the record groups are in English.

Abstract

The Time Inc. Records document the history of the company from its incorporation in 1922 through the early twenty-first century. The record groups Subject Files, Bio Files, Reference Files, and Annex Files are collections assembled by the Time Inc. Archives that document the history of Time Inc., its departments, and its staff. Other record groups contain files directly from corporate offices and the offices of the editorial and publishing sides of the various publications and other departments at Time Inc. along with smaller collections assembled by the Time Inc. Archives and Library. Because departments frequently collaborated on projects and events or received the same updates via group memoranda or reports, records on the same topic may be found in several record groups or series. These records will generally reflect different viewpoints on the same topic. This Guide is an overview of the portion of the archive that is processed and open to researchers. More detailed description of the content is included in the Guides for the individual record groups that constitute the archive.

Biographical / Historical

HISTORY OF TIME INC.For a comprehensive history of Time Inc. and its founders, see the authorized histories of Time Inc. listed in the citations at the end.

Henry Robinson Luce and Briton Hadden met while classmates at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. They became friends while working on rival school publications. Both went on to Yale University and joined the Yale Daily News as freshmen. After graduation in 1920, Luce and Hadden went their separate ways. Luce traveled, briefly studied at Oxford, and worked at The Chicago Daily News. Hadden also traveled and worked at The New York World. Ultimately both ended up working at The Baltimore News in 1922.

There they conceived of the magazine that became Time, with the working title Facts, before forming Time, Incorporated on November 28, 1922 in New York. They published the first issue on March 3, 1923 with a circulation of around 9,000. Luce and Hadden alternated as the president of the company, but shared the masthead as managing editors. Hadden died suddenly in 1929. Luce died in 1967.

Besides the flagship magazine, Time Inc. also launched Fortune, Life, Sports Illustrated, and People, along with the radio news program March of Time. Time Inc. created divisions for wider entertainment offerings such as Time-Life Books and the cable television channel Home Box Office, later known as HBO, and subsidiaries to handle the technical side of printing such as Printing Developments, Inc. Time Inc. also acquired companies such as publisher Little, Brown and Company, and lumber company Temple Industries; and publications such as Architectural Forum and the Washington Star. In 1990, Time Inc. merged with Warner Communications Inc. resulting in Time Warner. Time Inc., the magazine publishing branch, separated from Time Warner in 2014.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CORPORATE ARCHIVES.The earliest documentation regarding the establishment of the Time Inc. Archives dates from 1941, when a proposal was sent to one of the company's top executives, stating, "We are in favor of starting a confidential file of Archives, which can be kept up to date and which, as time goes on, should prove invaluable for...a comprehensive history of the company...Things we'd like to save: original dummies, prospectuses, and first copies of all the magazines, complete sets of annual reports, complete and up to date material on H.R.L. and his writings, a complete set of all company bulletins, pictures, diaries and personal accounts of all early employees, etc...But there is at present, so far as I know, no systematic effort to keep track of all documents which have long range value to the company...Main thing I am anxious to establish is the habit of saving valuable material. If you approve the project, we can start delving almost at once."

In 1950, after passing through the hands of several long time employees, the Archives Department was formally established, reporting up to the company's Central Services division.

REASON FOR ESTABLISHING ARCHIVES.One of the guiding reasons for establishing the Archive was, as noted above, that as early as 1941, Time Inc. was considering a "comprehensive history of the company." A memo in an Archives folder in the Reference Files, from April 1950, expresses the desire for a "definitive, scholarly history of Time Inc." Three authorized histories have been published so far:

Elson, Robert T. 1968. Time, Inc.: The Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise, 1923-1941. New York: Atheneum.

Elson, Robert T., and Duncan Norton-Taylor. 1973. The World of Time Inc.: The Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise, 1941-1960. New York: Atheneum.

Prendergast, Curtis, and Geoffrey Colvin. 1986. The World of Time Inc.: The Intimate History of a Changing Enterprise, 1960-1980. New York: Atheneum.

According to Robert T. Elson, "Luce had a very strong sense of history, and a feeling that Time Inc. was a unique institution. What he wanted was a record of the men and women who worked there."

Arrangement Note

The Time Inc. records are organized into record groups, each described in more detail in its own finding aid. See the Container List for summary information about each record group and the link to the detailed Guide for each group. The detailed Guides provide more information about the scope and arrangement of each record group, including the container inventory.

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Records document the history of the company from its incorporation in 1922 through the early twenty-first century. Because departments frequently collaborated on projects and events or received the same updates via group memoranda or reports, records on the same topic may be found in several record groups or series. These records will generally reflect different viewpoints on the same topic. Records throughout the collection frequently use the shorthand "34th" to refer to the corporate level offices whcih were on the 34th floor of the Manhattan Time & Life Building, and "541" to refer to the Chicago Time & Life Building.

The four major record groups that document the history of the company as a whole include the Subject Files, created as a reference tool for the writers of authorized histories of Time Inc., focusing on the areas of corporate, editorial, and publishing; the Bio Files documenting the careers of Time Inc. staff, non-staff closely associated with the company, and notable figures; the Reference Files, originally Time Inc.'s central file, documenting the history of various Time Inc. divisions, franchises, and staff organizations, along with runs of staff newsletters; and the Annex Files, an extension of the types of records kept in the Subject Files, but not part of that record group.

Additional record groups that relate to the entire company include the Corporate Administration Records containing files from the corporate-level offices and executives of Time Inc. as well as stock certificates, five-year plans, notary seals, patents, printing agreements, and organizational records from affiliates and subsidiaries; the New Building Department Records documenting the design, construction, and furnishing of the Time & Life Building at Rockefeller Center; the Administration, Human Resources and Personnel Records documenting employee relations, benefits, and personnel policies; Staff Organizations documenting membership organizations involving only Time Inc. staff; the Real Estate Division Records on building and land purchases, construction, and alternations for offices and other facilities of Time Inc. and its subsidiaries; Corporate Public Affairs Department Records documenting the promotion of Time Inc. through newstours, radio and television appearances, community projects, and speeches to groups in the publishing arena; the Time Inc. Annual Reports documenting the creation of new departments and new ventures; transcripts and recordings of staff interviews from an oral history project undertaken by the Time Inc. Archives; files from the Production Department about the supply of paper products and the subsidiary the East Texas Pulp and Paper Company (Eastex); files on the creation of a new corporate logo and trademark; the Corporate Circulation Records documenting the marketing of subscriptions for all of the company's magazines; the Travel Services Records regarding business travel arrangements for Time Inc. employees; the Company Services Records containing flight logs of an aircraft owned by Time Inc. and invoices for purchase of various items of office furniture and equipment; the records of the Comptroller documenting the accounting and financial reporting for the whole company; the realia collected by the Time Inc. Archives documenting branded material created by Time Inc. or awards received by Time Inc.; Time Inc.'s corporate identity rebranding; and Time Inc. International records documenting Time Inc.'s publishing efforts outside of the United States.

Records groups from the editorial side of Time Inc. may include files from a magazine's managing editors, executive editors, and art departments. Of note are the Corporate Editorial Records, a department overseeing all publications at Time Inc. and containing files from Editors-in-Chief Donovan Hedley, Henry Grunwald, and Jason McManus; and the Magazine Development Group's work on designing and launching new magazines.

Other editorial record groups include Time Editorial Records; Fortune Editorial Records; Life Editorial Records; People Editorial Records; Money Editorial Records; Architectural Forum and House & Home Editorial Records; Sports Illustrated Editorial Records; and Sports Illustrated for Kids Records. Additional records regarding Time include a chronological run of covers and bound and annotated issues.

Reference materials used by editorial staff include the Index Cards containing groups of index cards used for searching and cross referencing subject terms in Time Inc.'s major magazines; and files on people, presidents, and subjects from the Time Research Center.

Records groups from the business and publishing side of Time Inc. may include files from a magazine's publishers, business managers, general managers, and advertising, promotion, and circulation departments. Of note are the Advertising Promotion and Circulation Promotion Files assembled by the Time Inc. Archives and containing records and mailings from the advertising promotion and circulation promotion departments of many Time Inc. publications. Additional records on the marketing of the magazines are in the Consumer Marketing Records.

Other business and publishing records groups include Time Publishing and Business Records; Fortune Publishing and Business Records; People Publishing and Business Records; Life Publishing and Business Records; Discover Publishing and Business Records; TV-Cable Week Publishing and Business Records; and Sports Illustrated Publishing and Business Records. The Time Inc. Invitational Records document an annual invitation-only sporting event organized by the magazines' Advertising Sales Departments and held to foster relationships with advertisers. The Time Inc. Postal Rates Records document Time Inc. advocating for its position on postal rates for mailing publications.

Record groups that cover Time Inc.'s forays beyond magazine publishing include the Time-Life News Service Records documenting Time Inc.'s news gathering and reporting service; the The March of Time with files on production of the radio, film, and television versions; the Books Group Records documenting Time Inc.'s ventures in book publishing and book and gift subscription services; the Video Group Records documenting Time Inc.'s work in the cable, film, and television industries including records from Time-Life Films, Time-Life Broadcast, and Home Box Office (HBO); the New Media Records documenting the management of Time Inc.'s internet projects; sales data from music record labels managed by Time Warner Entertainment; and newspaper company records from the previous owner of a newspaper acquired by Time Inc.

Record groups regarding subsidiaries of Time Inc. include the Printing Developments, Inc. containing business expense ledgers and payroll books; the Time Canada Ltd. Records regarding the subsidiary that published the Canadian edition of Time; and Selling Areas-Marketing, Inc. (SAMI) which produced reports on the sale of consumer goods and offered them for sale by subscription.

This Guide is an overview of the portion of the archive that is processed and open to researchers. Further summary of the content is found in the Container List. More detailed description of the content is included in the Guides for the individual record groups that constitute the archive. Researchers with inquiries that appear to fall outside the scope of this material should contact the Curator of Manuscripts.

Subjects

Organizations

Genres

Topics

Access Restrictions

The record groups summarized in this overview Guide are processed and are open to qualified researchers. Any particular restrictions applicable at the record group level are noted in the Guide for that specific group.

Unprocessed material in the archive is not described in this Guide or in record group level Guides, and remains subject to restrictions. Requests for access to unprocessed material in response to specific research inquiries should be directed to the Curator of Manuscripts.

Related Archival Materials Note

The Henry Luce Papers (MS 3014) were acquired with the Time Inc. Records. The collection of books acquired with the records are cataloged as the Time Inc. Reference Library.

Accruals Note

The Time Inc. Records will continue to accrue additional record groups and, in some instances, additional material for existing record groups. Over time these additional materials will be processed and made publicly available, consistent with N-YHS's access policies for its manuscript archives.

Bibliography

Elson, Robert T., and Duncan Norton-Taylor. 1973. The World of Time Inc.: The Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise, 1941-1960. New York: Atheneum.
Prendergast, Curtis, and Geoffrey Colvin. 1986. The World of Time Inc.: The Intimate History of a Changing Enterprise, 1960-1980. New York: Atheneum.
Elson, Robert T. 1968. Time, Inc.: The Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise, 1923-1941. New York: Atheneum.

Collection processed by

Holly Deakyne, Samantha Brown, Melanie Rinehart, Nora Soto, Allen Thomas, Aleksandr Gelfand, Aaron Roffman, Larry Weimer

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:50:49 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English

Processing Information Note

In 2016 Holly Deakyne, Melanie Rinehart, and Samantha Brown processed and described RG 2.

In 2016 Brown processed and described RG 4.

In 2016 and 2017 Deakyne, Rinehart and Brown processed and described RG 1.

In 2016 to 2017 Deakyne and Rinehart processed and described RG 3.

In 2016 to 2017 Deakyne and Rinehart processed and described RG 16.

In 2016 and 2017 Deakyne and Brown processed and described RG 20.

In 2017 Deakyne processed, and Deakyne and Brown described, RG 31.

In 2017 Rinehart processed, and Rinehart and Deakyne described, RG 32.

In 2017 Deakyne and Rinehart processed and described RG 22.

In 2016 and 2017 Deakyne processed and described RG 17.

In 2017 Rinehart processed and described RG 12.

In 2017 Deakyne, Brown, and Rinehart processed and described RG 6.

In 2017 Deakyne processed and described RG 23.

In 2017 Deakyne and Rinehart processed and described RG 18.

In 2017 Deakyne and Brown processed and described Series I of RG 5.

In 2017 Deakyne processed and described RG 29.

In 2017 and 2018 Brown processed and described Series II of RG 13.

In 2017 and 2018 Rinehart processed and described Series I of RG 13.

In 2018 Deakyne processed and described RG 33.

In 2018 Deakyne processed and described RG 42.

In 2017 and 2018 Deakyne, Brown, and Rinehart processed and described RG 9.

In 2018 Deakyne processed and described RG 19.

In 2018 Aaron Roffman processed, and Roffman and Larry Weimer described, RG 38.

In 2017 and 2018 Deakyne, Brown and Rinehart processed and described RG 7.

In 2017 and 2018 Brown and Rinehart processed and described Series III of RG 13.

In 2018 Brown processed and described RG 8 with additions by Deakyne in 2019.

In 2018 and 2019 Brown processed and described RG 25.

In 2018 Rinehart processed and described RG 10.

In 2018 and 2019 Rinehart processed and described RG 27. Deakyne processed additions in 2021.

In 2019 Brown processed and described RG 26.

In 2019 Brown processed and described RG 14.

In 2018 and 2019 Deakyne and Rinehart processed and described RG 24.

In 2019 Deakyne processed and described RG 44.

In 2019 Deakyne processed and described Series IV and V of RG 13.

In 2018 and 2019 Brown and Aleksandr Gelfand processed and described RG 41.

In 2018 Brown processed and described RG 15. Some records were removed and reorganized into RG 39 in 2019.

In 2019 Brown processed and described RG 11.

In 2017 Brown processed and described Series II of RG 28. In 2019 Deakyne processed and described the other series and updated the title from Books and Arts Associates Records to Books Group Records.

In 2019 Rinehart and Nora Soto processed, and Soto described, RG 21.

In 2019 and 2020 Deakyne processed and described RG 40.

In 2020 Deakyne processed and described RG 43.

In 2017 and 2020 Rinehart and Deakyne processed, and Deakyne described, RG 45.

In 2020 Allen Thomas processed and described RG 46.

In 2020 Deakyne and Soto processed and described RG 47.

In 2020 Deakyne processed and described RG 49.

In 2019 and 2020 Thomas and Brown processed and described RG 39.

In 2020 Thomas processed and described Series I and Series II of RG 50. Deakyne processed and described Series III in 2021.

In 2021 Thomas processed and described RG 51.

In 2021 Thomas processed and described RG 52.

In 2021 Thomas processed and described RG 53.

In 2021 Thomas processed and described RG 54.

In 2018 and 2021 Thomas and Gelfand processed and described RG 36.

In 2021 Thomas processed and described RG 37.

In 2021 Thomas processed and described RG 48.

In 2021 Deakyne processed and described RG 34.

In 2020 and 2021 Deakyne processed and described RG 35.

In 2021 Deakyne processed and described RG 55.

In 2021 Thomas processed and described RG 56.

In 2021 Thomas processed and described RG 57.

From 2017 to 2021, Deakyne, Brown, and Soto processed and described Series II through Series XII of RG 5 along with some additions to Series I.

In 2021 Thomas processed and described RG 60.

In 2021 Thomas processed and described RG 58.

All processing of the Time Inc. Records from 2016 to 2021 is made possible by a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation.

Repository

New-York Historical Society

RG 1. Time Inc. Subject Files (1889-2015)

Scope and Contents Note

The Subject Files document the history of Time Inc. as an organization and have information on each publication and many departments at Time Inc. The Time Inc. Archives originally assembled and arranged the Subject Files for use by writers and researchers working on three authorized volumes of Time Inc. history. This record group contains primary documents from throughout the company and contains the majority of early records. Frequent subjects include corporate, editorial, and publishing. Corporate covers the acquisition and sale of entities as well as contracts and agreements between organizations, negotiations, board meetings, and other similar business relations. Editorial or Edit relates to the work being done by correspondents, reporters, and researchers. Publishing includes everything from advertising and promotion to production and circulation.

Additional records on the divisions, departments and offices at Time Inc. are in the Time Inc. Reference Files (MS 3009-RG 3) and the Time Inc. Annex Files (MS 3009-RG 39).

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Subject Files.

RG 2. Time Inc. Bio Files (1907-2015)

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Bio Files were assembled and maintained by the Time Inc. Archives and predominately document the careers of Time Inc. staff from board members (H. P. Davison) and company executives (John S. Martin, Ray Cave, Hedley Donovan, Elizabeth Valk Long) to administrative assistants. The files represent staff from all divisions, departments and subsidiaries including Time, Life, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, Architectural Forum, March of Time, Time-Life Books, Time-Life Films, Time-Life International, Home Box Office, Little, Brown and Company, and Inland Container Company. Time Inc. also kept files on non-staff closely associated with the company, and some family and former classmates of cofounders Henry R. Luce and Briton Hadden in relation to interviews during various history and biography projects.

This record group also includes the collection's primary files on cofounder Hadden, the majority of records from second Time Inc. president Roy E. Larsen, and very early corporate records in board member H. P. Davison's files.

Contents consist of correspondence; memoranda regarding new hires, departing staff and other staffing changes; press releases; news clippings including obituaries; articles from the staff newsletters; articles or correspondent cables by or about staff; reports and comments on articles and books under consideration for publication; invitations to events; and speeches or other public remarks. Photographs and other photographic material, and audiovisual recordings of interviews, oral histories, and public speeches are present infrequently.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Bio Files.

RG 3. Time Inc. Reference Files (1907-2015)

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Reference Files document the history of various Time Inc. divisions such as the editing and publishing groups for the major titles, Circulation, various office locations, and Public Affairs; franchises such as the Sports Illustrated "Swimsuit Issue" and Time "Person of the Year" (originally "Man of the Year"); and staff organizations. While the Reference Files seem to serve a similar purpose to the Time Inc. Subject Files, this record group may have, at one point, been organically created by departments sending copies of informative records to Time Inc.'s "central file."

Specific items of interest in this collection include the Department Head Lists, which record the structure of the company and names and titles of top-level staff; and copies of FYI, an internal Time Inc. staff newsletter which discuss department and staffing changes, events and milestones, along with a card index of the contents.

Additional records on the divisions, departments and offices at Time Inc. are in the Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1) and the Time Inc. Annex Files (MS 3009-RG 39).

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Reference Files.

RG 4. Time Inc. Index Cards (1933-1993)

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Index Cards contain groups of index cards used by Time Inc. staff for writing, searching, and cross referencing subject terms in Time Inc.'s major magazines, and as directories for published books and interviews.The majority of index cards provide a subject term, a brief description of a topic, and a date when the topic was covered within the associated magazine. There is also a section of general subjects that is not linked to a specific publication.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Index Cards.

RG 5. Time Inc. Corporate Administration Records (1853-2002)

Scope and Contents Note

The Corporate Administration Records contain files from the corporate-level offices and executives of Time Inc. Executives and offices represented include the president, chief executive officer, chairman of the board, and chairman of the executive committee; corporate secretary; the finance division including files from the treasurer and investor relations; executive vice presidents; vice presidents overseeing administration, international, communications, and newspaper acquisitions; and a director of international business. Staff represented include Roy E. Larsen, James A. Linen, Andrew Heiskell, Ralph P. Davidson, Reginald K. Brack, Jr., and Don Logan.

Records document corporate strategic planning for Time Inc., corporate filings, investments in terms of Time Inc. shareholders or in regards to employee retirement accounts, and major acquisitions, sales, or mergers including the merger between Time Inc. and Warner Communications creating Time Warner. Records also include executive committee minutes, five-year plans, notary seals, patents owned by Time Inc., early printing agreements, and corporate books or other organizational records from affiliates and subsidiaries of Time Inc.

Further additions to this record group are expected.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Corporate Administration Records.

RG 6. Time Inc. Corporate Editorial Records (1944-1998)

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Corporate Editorial Records contain records from editorial staff working at the corporate level overseeing all publications at Time Inc. Executive offices, including the top editorial staff, were located on the 34th floor in the Time & Life Building. Staff represented include Editors-in-Chief Hedley Donovan, Henry Grunwald, and Jason McManus; Editorial Directors Ralph Graves, Ray Cave, and Richard Stolley; Corporate Editors McManus, Gilbert Rogin, and James Gaines; Assistant Corporate Editor David Maness; and Special Assistant Rogin. Records include appointment books; departmental and subject files; internal and external correspondence; speeches; and travel information.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Corporate Editorial Records.

RG 7. Time Inc. Time Editorial Records (1938-2009)

Scope and Contents

The Time Editorial Records contain records from offices and staff from the editorial side of the magazine, not the publishing or business side. Staff represented include Managing Editors Otto Fuerbringer and James R. Gaines, Executive Editors Dana Tasker and Edward Jamieson, Art Department Cover Researcher Rosemary Frank, and art and culture journalist Rosalind Constable. Records include internal and external correspondence; departmental and subject files; cover artist files; speeches; travel itineraries; personnel files; files and reports from the Letters Department; and collected research for elections reporting.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Time Editorial Records.

RG 8. Time Inc. Fortune Editorial Records (1951-2013)

Scope and Contents

The Fortune Editorial Records contain materials from the offices and staff of the editorial side of the magazine, not the publishing or business side. Staff represented in this record group include managing editor Robert Lubar, managing editor Louis Banks, managing editor Duncan Nortan-Taylor, managing editor Andrew Serwer, staff writer Charles Burck, and staff writer Rush Loving Jr. Also included are materials from the Art Department on planning and creating issues in 1982 and files on staff, freelance writers, and other contributors to Fortune.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Fortune Editorial Records.

RG 9. Time Inc. Life Editorial Records (1937-2013)

Scope and Contents

The Life Editorial Records include files from offices and staff that produced both the original version of Life and the revived monthly version. The Managing Editors (ME) begin with the last ME of the original Life. Other staff included are one Executive Editor; two Senior Editors, one from the original Life and one from the revived version; two staff photographers, with Alfred Eisenstaedt being one of the original hires at the launch of the magazine; and one staff writer. Records include business correspondence, interoffice memoranda, letters from readers, drafts of articles, audiovisual interviews and oral histories, article proposals, and magazine and corporate policies.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Life Editorial Records.

RG 10. Time Inc. People Editorial Records (1966-1989)

Scope and Contents

The People Editorial Records contain records from offices and staff from the editorial side of the magazine, not the publishing or business side. Editorial staff represented include Cranston Jones, Lee Wohlfert, Marianne Macy, Martha Babcock, Sarah Rozen, Richard Stolley, and Dick Lemon.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. People Editorial Records.

RG 11. Time Inc. Money Editorial Records: Managing Editor Marshall Loeb Files (1981-1986)

Scope and Contents

The Time Inc. Money Editorial Records: Managing Editor Marshall Loeb Files focus on public appearances made by Loeb while he was managing editor. The collection is primarily scripts and transcripts.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Money Editorial Records: Managing Editor Marshall Loeb Files.

RG 12. Time Inc. Architectural Forum and House & Home Editorial Records: Managing Editor Edgar P. Smith Files (1952-1962)

Scope and Contents Note

Contains Edgar P. Smith's records regarding the evaluation and possible sale of Architectural Forum and House & Home. Architectural Forum was a professional journal focused on design and modern architecture, and House & Home was a trade magazine for building and buying new houses.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Architectural Forum and House & Home Editorial Records: Managing Editor Edgar P. Smith Files.

RG 13. Time Inc. Time Research Center Files (1919-2015)

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Research Center Files contain research materials collected by Time Inc. reporters, researchers, and library staff in the main areas of Bio Files, Presidents Files, and Subject Files. Many of the files originally belonged to a Time Inc. reference library known throughout the years as The Morgue, The Bureau of Editorial Reference, and The Editorial Reference Library. The majority of research and reference materials are magazine and newspaper clippings. Other types of material include telegrams and other correspondence, correspondent dispatches, transcripts of interviews and speeches, editorial outlines for articles, editorial policies, press releases, and drafts of articles.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Time Research Center Files.

RG 14. Time Inc. Time-Life News Service Records (1935-1987)

Scope and Contents

The Time-Life News Service Records documents the management and activities of Time Inc.'s news gathering branch. While the department was formally part of Time magazine for most of its history, it gathered and reported on news for other magazines as well. The collection contains records from the chiefs of correspondents and their office, records from the New York Regional Bureau Chief, financial records, personnel and biographical files assembled on employees of the Time-Life News Service, dispatches and article research material that did not end up in the Time Research Center, and correspondence discussing masthead changes concerning Time-Life News Service staff. Due to overlap of financial management between the Time magazine business office and Time-Life New Service's financial office, financial records include Time budgets as well as financial documents for Time Inc. subsidiaries such as the Washington Star.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Time-Life News Service Records.

RG 15. Time Inc. The March of Time Audiovisual Collection (1979-1995)

Scope and Contents

The March of Time Audiovisual Collection contains internal and commercially distributed audiovisual materials that were produced by The March of Time, a division of Time Inc. The majority of records from The March of Time along with the material regarding its history can be found in the Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1) and Time Inc. Annex Files (MS 3009-RG 39).

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. The March of Time Audiovisual Collection.

RG 16. Time Inc. New Building Department Records (1953-1967)

Scope and Contents Note

The New Building Department Records contain the decisionmaking and planning files for the construction of Time Inc.'s new office space, the Time & Life Building, which is part of Rockefeller Center. Series I contains the chronological binders kept by the head of the department Henry "Hank" Luce III. Series II contains other materials created by the department during the planning period. Series III contains invoices and purchase orders for construction, interior decor, and furniture.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. New Building Department Records.

RG 17. Time Inc. Human Resources and Personnel Records (1939-1989)

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Human Resources and Personnel Records document employee relations, benefits, participation in unions, and Time Inc.'s efforts to create or implement personnel policies and guidelines.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Human Resources and Personnel Records.

RG 18. Time Inc. Staff Organizations (1940-2015)

Scope and Contents Note

Time Inc. Staff Organizations contains records from clubs, sports, and other membership organizations involving only Time Inc. staff. The organizations include the Time Inc. Bowling League, Lesbians and Gay Men at Time Warner (LGTW), and the Time-Life Alumni Society (TLAS). Further additions to this finding aid are expected.

Click here to link to the Guide to Time Inc. Staff Organizations.

RG 19. Time Inc. Corporate Public Affairs Department Records (1945-2000)

Scope and Contents

Corporate Public Affairs Department Records contain the office files from Vice President Donald Wilson; files and correspondence from Louis Slovinsky while he was the the public relations manager, associate director, and director of public affairs; office files from the Radio/TV Publicity Office, project files from Community Relations; office files from the Chief Speechwriter; office files from the Special Events Manager; files on exhibitions in the Time & Life Building public spaces; files on exhibitions and contests to promote Time Inc. internationally; and general files produced or collected by the department overall including annual reports, press releases, dinner books, weekly news clippings, and administrative files.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Corporate Public Affairs Department Records.

RG 20. Time Inc. News Clippings (1999-2013)

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. News Clippings contain copies of news articles about Time Warner and AOL Time Warner, its publications, and its subsidiaries collected by the Time Inc. Library and Archives. Corporate Communications compiled some of the clippings packets.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. News Clippings.

RG 21. Time Inc. Advertising Promotion and Circulation Promotion Files (1922-2004)

Scope and Contents

The Time Inc. Advertising Promotion and Circulation Promotion Files were assembled by the Time Inc. Archives and contain records from the advertising promotion and circulation promotion departments of many Time Inc. publications, including Fortune, Life, and Time.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Advertising Promotion and Circulation Promotion Files.

RG 22. Time Inc. Printing Developments, Inc. (1950-1974)

Scope and Contents Note

Contains the business ledgers of this Time Inc. subsidiary.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Printing Developments, Inc.

RG 23. Time Inc. Real Estate Division Records (1960-1980)

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Real Estate Division Records include files on building and land purchases, construction, and alternations for offices, laboratories, warehouses, and other facilities of Time Inc. and its subsidiaries.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Real Estate Division Records.

RG 24. Time Inc. Time Publishing and Business Records (1927-1999)

Scope and Contents

The Time Publishing and Business Records contain materials from the offices and staff of the business and publishing side of the magazine's operation. The majority of materials come from the office of the business manager; departments in charge of advertisements in the magazine; an educational materials subscription program; and public affairs.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Time Publishing and Business Records.

RG 25. Time Inc. Fortune Publishing and Business Records (1929-2005)

Scope and Contents

The Fortune Publishing and Business Records contain materials from the offices and staff of the business and publishing side of the magazine's operation. The majority of materials come from the offices of public affairs and promotions as well as from the office of Publisher William Geer. Records include clippings, correspondence, notes, transcripts, drafts, press releases, press kits, photographs, video cassettes, audio cassettes, and open audio reels.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Fortune Publishing and Business Records.

RG 26. Time Inc. Life Publishing and Business Records (1936-2001)

Scope and Contents

The Life Publishing and Business Records contain materials from the offices and staff of the business and publishing side of the magazine's operation. The majority of materials come from the publisher, business office, market research, and circulation departments.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Life Publishing and Business Records.

RG 27. Time Inc. People Publishing and Business Records (1973-2003)

Scope and Contents

With the first issue launched on on March 4, 1974, People was one of the first publications coming out of the Magazine Development Group later transitioning into its own department. The People Publishing and Business Records contain records from offices and staff from the publishing and business side of the magazine, not the editorial side. Staff represented include Publisher Richard Durrell, Assistant Publisher Charlotte Schiff-Jones, Associate Consumer Marketing Director John Hartig, Director of Marketing Services Chuck Lund, and Magazine Development Group Marketing Director Mal Ochs.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. People Publishing and Business Records.

RG 28. Time Inc. Books Group Records (1963-1988, 2015)

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Books Group Records contain materials documenting Time Inc.'s book publishing ventures. While Time-Life Books was Time Inc.'s main imprint and book publishing department, Time Inc. owned several other book publishing, subscription, or direct marketing ventures and companies including Little, Brown and Company and the Book-of-the-Month Club. Included in this record group are files from the office of the group vice president, the Books and Arts Associates, the Iran Publishing Project, and the Time-Life Travel Club.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Books Group Records.

RG 29. Time Inc. Invitational Records (1982-1989)

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Invitational was an annual invitation-only sports competition event organized by the magazines' Advertising Sales Departments and held at the Maidstone Club in East Hamptons, NY. Records include the planning and event materials for the years 1983 to 1985, 1987, and 1989.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Invitational Records.

RG 31. Time Inc. Annual Reports (1922-2016)

Scope and Contents Note

Annual Reports includes annual reports for Time Inc. and later Time Warner Inc. after the merger in 1989. America Online, Inc. (AOL) includes reports sent to the library for use as reference at the time of that merger. Annual reports may include accompanying financial reports, fact books, or Year in Review.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Annual Reports.

RG 32. Time Inc. Time Covers (1923-2015)

Scope and Contents Note

Time Covers contains a collection of covers removed from the rest of the magazine dating from 1923 through July 2015. Later dates sometimes include the entire magazine. This is a collection created by the Time Inc. Library and Archives.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Time Covers.

RG 33. Time Inc. Oral History Project Records (1984-1994)

Scope and Contents Note

The Oral History Project Records include background preparation research, transcripts, and audiovisual material from interviews of Time Inc. staff conducted by the Time Inc. Archives between 1984 and 1994.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Oral History Project Records.

RG 34. Time Inc. Sports Illustrated Editorial Records (1969-1988)

Scope and Contents

Sports Illustrated launched on August 16, 1954 as a weekly magazine with managing editor Sidney James and publisher Harry Phillips. The Editorial Records are primarily correspondence from senior editorial staff to place articles or excerpts from outside writers. There is a small amount of administrative records.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Sports Illustrated Editorial Records.

RG 35. Time Inc. Sports Illustrated Publishing and Business Records (1950s-1993)

Scope and Contents

Sports Illustrated launched on August 16, 1954 as a weekly magazine with managing editor Sidney James and publisher Harry Phillips. The Sports Illustrated (SI) Publishing and Business Records contain files from the deparments in charge of permissions, advertising sales, advertising promotion, merchandising, and market research.

This record group contains extensive records on the early years of SI including early memoranda from managing editor James in the merchandising files. It also contains extensive records documenting the promotion of SI, particularly to potential advertisers, through awards ceremonies, collaborative events with communities, and scripted presentations to a variety of advertisers during SI's first year of publication. The advertising promotion files also include hundreds of taped interviews with sports figures which SI sent out as part of a tape service to radio and television stations.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Sports Illustrated Publishing and Business Records.

RG 36. Time Inc. Production Department Records (1947-1969)

Scope and Contents

The Production Department was responsible for overseeing the production of Time Inc. magazines. One aspect of this was overseeing the supply of paper products from the East Texas Pulp and Paper Company (Eastex).

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Production Department Records.

RG 37. Time Inc. Comptroller Records (1957-1982)

Scope and Contents

A collection of material produced during the comptroller's duties of supervising accounting and financial reporting. Includes material on accounting procedures and codes, accounts payable and receivable, balance sheets, lease agreements, and other financial information.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Comptroller Records.

RG 38. Time Inc. Time Annotated Bound Issues (1933-2002)

Scope and Contents

Time Annotated Bound Issues consists of 249 volumes of bound issues of Time magazine (1933-1934, 1940-2002) and one volume of Letters magazine (1934-1937). The issues of Time are noted as "marked" copies because they include annotations on various articles, primarily the initials of the writer, editor and researcher of the piece. The annotations also include brief observations on various matters of style, word choice, and the like, and paper inserts with count lists of international editions and other information.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Time Annotated Bound Issues.

RG 39. Time Inc. Annex Files (1854, 1909, 1923-2014)

Scope and Contents

The Time Inc. Annex Files is an assembled collection created by the Time Inc. archives of materials considered too bulky or infrequently requested to be housed in the main archives. Records in the Annex Files seem to be an extension of the of the materials in the Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1) and document the history of Time Inc. as an organization with information on each publication and many departments at Time Inc. The collection is largely made up of records pertaining to the development of magazines, The March of Time, Home Box Office (HBO), Time-Life Books, and information on public affairs programs and events, international business, and advertising studies and surveys.

Additional records on the divisions, departments and offices at Time Inc. are also in the Time Inc. Reference Files (MS 3009-RG 3).

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Annex Files.

RG 40. Time Inc. Magazine Development Group Records (1967-1987, 2003)

Scope and Contents

The Magazine Development Group (MDG) Records contains records from two versions of this group documenting the processes for and progress on development of new magazines at Time Inc. between 1973 and 1987. The first MDG developed and launched People and Life Special Reports. The second MDG worked extensively on Picture Week.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Magazine Development Group Records.

RG 41. Time Inc. Video Group Records (1934-1989)

Scope and Contents

The Time Inc. Video Group Records contain materials documenting Time Inc.'s work in the cable, film, and television industries. The Video Group oversaw the departments and subsidiaries that worked directly in these industries. Included in this record group are materials created by the staff of Time-Life Films, Time-Life Video, Time-Life Broadcast/Time-Life Broadcast Inc., Time-Life Cable, Home Box Office (HBO), and Manhattan Cable Television (MCTV).

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Video Group Records.

RG 42. Time Inc. Harry Harding Files on Corporate Identity (1967-1971)

Scope and Contents Note

Corporate executive Harry Harding's files document his work on Time Inc.'s corporate identity, specifically attempting to create a new corporate logo or trademark for use throughout the company.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Harry Harding Files on Corporate Identity.

RG 43. Time Inc. Discover Publishing and Business Records (1980-1987)

Scope and Contents

The Discover Publishing and Business Records contain files from publisher Bruce Barnet documenting the final review of feasibility of Discover and its sale.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Discover Publishing and Business Records.

RG 44. Time Inc. Time Canada Ltd. Records (1954-1975, 1995-1999)

Scope and Contents

The Time Canada Ltd. Records contain the records from the business side of the subsidiary of Time Inc. that published the Canadian edition of Time. Records are primarily from President Don Brown, and Managing Directors Lawrence Laybourne, Steve LaRue, and Bradley Gundy. There are a few folders of operating statements and from the Promotion Department.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Time Canada Ltd. Records.

RG 45. Time Inc. New Media Records: Editor Daniel Okrent Files (1989-2001)

Scope and Contents

The Time Inc. New Media Records contain Daniel Okrent's files created while he was Editor of New Media and document this department's management of Time Inc.'s internet projects including websites for each magazine.

Click here to link to the Time Inc. New Media Records: Editor Daniel Okrent Files.

RG 46. Time Inc. Publicity Files (1923-1984)

Scope and Contents

The Time Inc. Publicity Files are a collection of press clippings documenting outside perception of Time Inc. regarding the company's publications, activities, and personnel.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Publicity Files.

RG 47. Time Inc. Editorial Services Records (1966-1977, 1991-2003)

Scope and Contents

The Time Inc. Editorial Services Records documents the activities of various departments and offices within this division that supported all editorial and publishing divisions at Time Inc. The majority of records are from several photograph syndication services at Time Inc. Also included are office files from the Editorial Production/Copy Processing department and photographs of staff events.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Editorial Services Records.

RG 48. Time Inc. Realia Collection (1937-2015)

Scope and Contents

The collection is composed of a wide variety of objects collected by the Time Inc. Archives. The most common type of objects are those given to advertisers as a promotional gimmick to encourage advertisment in Time Inc. magazines, awards given to Time Inc., its magazines, or staff, and items branded with the logos of Time Inc. magazines given to Time Inc. employees as gifts or to subscribers as promotions.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Realia Collection.

RG 49. Time Inc. TV-Cable Week Publishing and Business Records (1981-1983, 1990)

Scope and Contents

This collection contains records from publisher Christopher Meigher regarding TV-Cable Week, a short-lived Time Inc. cable television listings magazine.

Click here to link to the Guide to the TV-Cable Week Publishing and Business Records.

RG 50. Time Inc. Corporate Circulation Records (1940-1987)

Scope and Contents

Corporate Circulation was a department of Time Inc. that supervised marketing of subscriptions for all of the company's magazines which included in-house creation of promotions as well as dealing with outside advertising agencies. The records consist of information on promotion efforts for specific magazines, information on magazine subscribers, and correspondence and agreements with foreign distributors.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Corporate Circulation Records.

RG 51. Time Inc. Atlantic Recording Company and Elektra Entertainment Records (1964-1993)

Scope and Contents

Atlantic Recording Corporation and Elektra Entertainment are music record labels owned by Warner Communications at the time of its merger with Time Inc. The labels were then managed under the Time Warner Entertainment division. The collection contains print-outs of sales data for artists signed with both labels.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Atlantic Recording Company and Elektra Entertainment Records.

RG 52. Time Inc. Travel Services Records (1989-1995)

Scope and Contents

Time Inc. Travel Services arranged business travel for Time Inc. employees. The collection comes from the files of Tom McDermott, Travel Services Director in 1995.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Travel Services Records.

RG 53. Time Inc. Company Services Records (1969-1983)

Scope and Contents

Time Inc. Company Services was founded in the late 1940s to carry out functions not directly related to the production of Time Inc. magazines or other products. The collection consists of flight logs of an aircraft owned by Time Inc. and invoices for purchase of various items of office furniture and equipment.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Company Services Records.

RG 54. Time Inc. Selling Areas-Marketing, Inc. (SAMI) Records (1985)

Scope and Contents

Selling Areas-Marketing, Inc. (SAMI) was a company owned by Time Inc. that produced reports on the sale of consumer goods and offered them for sale by subscription. The collection consists of examples of these reports and correspondence.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Selling Areas-Marketing, Inc. (SAMI) Records.

RG 55. Time Inc. Sports Illustrated for Kids Records (1987-1996)

Scope and Contents

Sports Illustrated for Kids (SIFK) was developed by Sports Illustrated staff starting around 1987 and launched in January 1989. Records primarily document the development of SIFK and include prospectuses, circulation plans, marketing plans, advertising plans, story list ideas, kids survey results, and a copy of the first issue.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Sports Illustrated for Kids Records.

RG 56. Time Inc. International Records (1957-1974, 1984-1997)

Scope and Contents

Time Inc. International marketed and published Time Inc. magazines outside the United States. It set up offices in various cities around the world to work on regional version of magazines, made deals to license the names of Time Inc. magazines to foreign publishers, and occasionally published original magazines in foreign territories. The collection consists of correspondence, reports, data on sales and expenses, projections and propositions for the future, and printed presentations. This record group includes files from earlier divisions that provided the same function such as Time Life International (TLI) and Corporate International.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. International Records.

RG 57. Time Inc. Postal Rates Records (1949-1978)

Scope and Contents

When postal rates or other aspects of law governing postal delivery were changed, or may be changed, in ways Time Inc. found unfavorable, it advocated for its position with Congress and the public. This collection contains information used in those activities such as bills put before Congress on the topic of postal rates and law, correspondence between people within Time Inc. and with members of Congress, proceedings of the Postal Commission including witness testimony, reports on the costs of postal delivery, and examples of Time Inc.'s direct mail marketing.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Postal Rates Records.

RG 58. Time Inc. Consumer Marketing Records (2000)

Scope and Contents

Consumer Marketing was a division within Time Inc. which had charge of all activities in support of direct marketing for Time Inc. magazines. The collections consists of a binder of statistics on the sales, circulation, and net profit or loss of various Time Inc. magazines.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Consumer Marketing Records.

RG 60. Evening Star Newspaper Co. Records (1911-1972)

Scope and Contents

The Evening Star Newspaper Co. was the publisher of the Washington, D.C. daily newspaper The Evening Star. Founded in 1852, the newspaper held several names during its existence. Time Inc. purchased the newspaper in 1978 when it was known as The Washington Star. This collection contains company records from prior to Time Inc.'s acquisition including staff newsletters, a handwritten record of births of children to employees, and accounting books.

Records on The Washington Star finances after Time Inc.'s acquisition are in the Time Inc. Time-Life News Service Records (MS 3009-RG 14).

Click here to link to the Guide to the Evening Star Newspaper Co. Records.

RG 61. Time Inc. Information Systems Records (1980-1986)

Scope and Contents

The Information Systems Group was created by Time Inc. to plan and oversee use of computer and data processing resources by employees of the company. The collection consists of studies on the creation of a corporate data center and personnel/payroll computer systems, history of the data center, and manuals for the use of computer services offered by the Group.

Click here to link to the Guide to the Time Inc. Information Systems Records

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