Time Inc. Time Editorial Records
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Abstract
Time is the first magazine created by Time Inc. and was the impetus to form the publishing company. Time launched its first issue on March 3, 1923. 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, executive editors, a cover researcher, a senior design coordinator, and a journalist.
Historical Note
Time is the first magazine created by Time Inc. and was the impetus to form the publishing company. Time launched its first issue on March 3, 1923. Time Inc. cofounders Henry R. Luce and Briton Hadden shared the masthead as Editors until Hadden's death in 1929. At this time, John S. Martin became the first Managing Editor of Time with Luce still over him as Editor.
According to Time Inc., Time pioneered the news magazine, at least the modern news magazine. Time's format of short articles summarizing news events and other items of interest and importance became the standard for later news magazines. Magazine sections included national and international affairs, business, education, science, medicine, law, religion, sports, books, and the arts.
Time published several foreign-language editions, the first launched in 1941 delivered by air service to Latin America; special issues including the popular Time Person of the Year (formerly Man of the Year); and Time for Kids, a children's magazine. For the majority of Time Inc.'s existence, the company maintained a strict separation of editorial from the publishing and business side of each magazine, colloquially called the separation of "church" (editorial) and "state" (publishing). Editorial includes the editors, researchers, and art department. The editorial side reported up to the editor-in-chief and the publishing/business side reported up to the corporate business executive which was the president prior to 1960 and the chief executive officer after. Henry Luce structured Time Inc. this way so that the business side could not (in theory) influence the editorial content of the publications. For example, the advertising sales people could not interfere with a magazine's decision to run an article on the dangers of cigarette smoking, even though it might mean losing millions of dollars in tobacco ads.
Citations:
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Time," Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Time-American-magazine.
Elson, Robert T. 1968. Time Inc.: The Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise, 1923-1941. New York: Atheneum.
Hooper, Bill. Email to Holly Deakyne, 10 June 2016.
Arrangement
Organized into seven series based on hierarchy of office and job titles and then chronologically by office holder when applicable:
Series I. Managing Editor Files
Series II. Executive Editor Files
Series III. Art Department Records
Series IV. Rosalind Constable Reports
Series V. Letters Department Records
Series VI. Elections Research
Series VII. Promotional Scrapbook
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, Edward Jamieson and Joëlle Attinger, Art Department Cover Researcher Rosemary Frank, Art Department Senior Design Coordinator Linda Freeman, 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. The collection also contains a scrapbook documenting the editorial staff and offices from 1937.
Records from Managing Editor Henry Grunwald reside with his Editor-in-Chief files in the Time Inc. Corporate Editorial Records. Records from Managing Editor Ray Cave reside with his Editorial Director files in the Time Inc. Corporate Editorial Records.
Subjects
People
Topics
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers with the exception of restricted materials. Restricted materials may include personnel records; contracts and agreements; and records with personally identifiable information. Restricted materials are located in boxes 2459 to 2463 and R39. Materials created within the past 35 years also may be subject to restriction on a case-by-case basis. Unreformatted audiovisual and digital material in the collection is not accessible. Except for microfilm, materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use.
Use Restrictions
This collection is owned by the New-York Historical Society. Although the N-YHS owns this collection as physical property, the donor specifically retains all copyright and all other proprietary rights which may exist. The copyright law of the United Statesgoverns the making of photocopies and protects unpublished materials as well as published materials. Unpublished materials created before January 1, 1978 cannot be quoted in publication without permission of the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation Note
This record group should be cited as Time Inc. Time Editorial Records, MS 3009-RG 7, New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Time Inc. in 2015.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital copies of the Letters Department: Reports summarizing all reader letters received by the magazine between 1938 and 1980 are available in the N-YHS Digital Collections: Time, Inc. TIME Letters Department reports, 1938-1980.
About this Guide
Processing Information Note
The Managing Editor Otto Fuerbringer Files were processed by Holly Deakyne in 2017. The original folders were retained when present although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding or when loose. There was no original order and arrangement was imposed. In 2020 any files identified as his work on magazine development were separated and included in RG 40. Deakyne created the inventory and other descriptive notes for this series.
The Managing Editor James R. Gaines Files were processed by Samantha Brown in 2017. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding or when removed from hanging folders. The records were organized into subseries based on the separate transfers to the archives and arrangement within each was imposed. Brown created the inventory and other descriptive notes to produce this series.
The Executive Editor Dana Tasker Files on Covers were processed by Deakyne in 2018. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding or poor condition. There was no original order and arrangement was imposed. Deakyne created the inventory and other descriptive notes for this series.
The Executive Editor Edward Jamieson Files were processed by Deakyne in 2018. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding or poor condition. Subseries were created based on original arrangement though organization was imposed within subseries. Deakyne created the inventory and other descriptive notes for this series. Additional boxes were processed and described in 2019.
The Executive Editor Joëlle Attinger Files were processed by Deakyne in 2019. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding or poor condition. Deakyne created the inventory and other descriptive notes for this series.
The Art Department: Cover Researcher Rosemary Frank Administrative Files were processed by Deakyne in 2018. The Rosemary Frank Artist Files were processed by Melanie Rinehart in 2017 with additions by Deakyne in 2018. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding. Arrangement was imposed on the Administrative Files. Deakyne creative the inventory for the Administrative Files and the descriptive notes for both subseries. Rinehart created the inventory for the Artist Files.
The Art Department: Senior Design Coordinator Linda Freeman Files were processed by Deakyne in 2019. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding or poor condition. Arrangement was imposed. Deakyne created the inventory and other descriptive notes for this series.
The Art Department: Cover Carbon Files were processed by Deakyne in 2018. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding. Arrangement was imposed. Deakyne created the inventory and other descriptive notes for this series.
The Rosalind Constable Reports were processed by Rinehart in 2017. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding. Deakyne created the inventory and other descriptive notes for this series.
Time Letters Department Records were processed by Deakyne in 2018. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding or poor condition. Microfilm was kept in the original containers and box and in the original order. Deakyne created the inventory and descriptive notes for this series. Deakyne processed and described additional records for Published Letters in 2019. Deakyne processed and described Editorial Rights in 2020.
Elections Research was processed by Deakyne in 2018. The original folders were retained when present. Arrangement was imposed based on the original arrangement of some sections. Deakyne created the inventory and descriptive notes for this series.
The Promotional Scrapbook was processed by Deakyne in 2021. Deakyne disassembled the scrapbook and housed the pages in order retaining the binder cover. Deakyne also housed loose papers found with the scrapbook. Deakyne created the inventory and descriptive notes for this series.