Southington, Connecticut. "Where Southington folk buy their magazines." May 23-30, 1942

The following colorized photo is the result of what was an
almost year-long journey into the fascinating world of internet detective work .

My goal was to find all the magazines covers shown in this photo,

in their original colors.

Luckily  a lot of those covers are still around and where uploaded into various sites. 

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

This B&W photo appeared on Shorpy.com, Dec 2013.
The photo was taken by Fenno Jacobs as part of the "Office of War Information" project documenting American life during the war.

 (Original file from the Library of congress).

This next version of the photo shows only the magazines I found on the internet.

The rest of the shot was completely colorized.

I estimate the amount of magazines I found to be about 90% of the 

entire amount of magazines in this photo.

Although the photo was taken in May of 1942, 

only a small number of the magazines are dated "May 1942". 

Most of the magazines in this photo are dated "June 1942" and "July 1942".

 

Here is another photo showing the same location on the same day 

with some other magazines visible.

 (Original file from the Library of congress)

The following comment on Shorpy.com (Dec 2013) was what prompted me to

go on this detective journey. 

UPDATE Feb 2024

new booklet was found by Matt!!

 "Sequel to the Apocalypse"

Donald MacLaren's 1942 pamphlet 

For more about this pamphlet click here.

UPDATE Aug 2023

Two more definite matches found by Matt!!

UPDATE Jan 2023

I just received the latest discovery by my detective friend Matt.

Turns out that part of the horizontal stack of magazines on the top shelf at left, just to the left of Little Oscar's First Raid magazine, are the spines of the  June issues of Coronet magazine. 

UPDATE 2021: Just received an email from a person named Matt. 

Matt stumbled upon this blog and decided to look for some missing magazines in this photo.

Here's some of what he found... and purchased.

Thank you Matt!!

SOME MORE INSIDES

Here are some examples showing why in some cases this seemed like mission impossible.

On some cases I had to be a true detective to find a magazine

where only a slither of it was visible in the photo.

By using some distortions and photoshop manipulations,

 I managed to figure out some of the magazines that where places sideways in the photo.

In this case the very unique font of the "P" 

was the clue to help my search. 

Although I had not fount the exact issue that is in the B&W photo, 

I had found the magazine name and copy of another cover.

UPDATE JULY 3 2021

The May issue of Parents magazine was found thanks to the help of Matt.

Thank you Matt!!

Update Feb 8 2023

With the help of my the amazing detective Matt, switched a wrong "STAMPS" magazine issue I had  with the right one. This is what Matt wrote to me:

"I've suspected for a while that the issue of STAMPS we had was not correct, due to a different shape of the central stamp image, as well as the text blocks.

So I contacted the APS and asked if they could send color images of STAMPS magazine from May 23 and May 30, 1942.  They did so, but there was still (surprisingly) a mismatch, so I asked for May 16 as well.  This time we have a definite match."

One magazine I'm missing is the May or June issue of "your Life" magazine.

This unique magazine contained  questions and answers about how to live your life. 

It is located on the top left corner of the magazine wall.

Here are two wrong issues from 1942.

The following is a collection of all the magazines / pulp magazines and comic-book covers

 I found and incorporated into my colorized project. 

Sky pulp Magazins

These first two rear magazine covers were provided to me with the help of

Bill from ThePulp.Net. Thank you Bill

Sci-Fi and Fantasy pulp magazines

Astounding Science-Fiction 1942 June Vol 29 #04

This issue of Astounding Science-Fiction

 includes the 2nd installment of what would later be called Asimov's Foundation Trilogy. 

 The story in this issue was called "Bridle and Saddle", and it was featured on the cover.

Murder and Detective pulp magazines 

The next two rear covers were provided to me with the help of

Bill from ThePulp.Net. Thank you Bill

New cover 2021 (Thank you Matt!!)

Here is the original cover art of the shadow (June 15th 1942) without the print.
Cover artist: George Rozen (1895-1973)

Love magazines

Cowboy pulp magazines

These first four rear magazine covers were provided to me with the help of

Bill from ThePulp.Net. Thank you Bill

Film magazines

Sport magazines

                                                        

                                                     The Ring Magazine

Date - June 1942

 Sugar Ray Robinson 1st Ring Magazine Cover Appearance.

Inside includes - Joe Louis vs. Abe Simon fight pictures, 

Boxing Leads in War Service

 64 pages

War related magazines

Donald MacLaren's 1942 pamphlet

"Sequel to the Apocalyps"

General intrest and hobby magazines

After working on this project for so long I just had to have one of the magazines from this photo.

I have purchased this "Coronet" magazine.

And this is it's content:

   

This next photo of the cover of "Life Story" is colorized. 

It appears in the second version of the photo (the one with the sailors instead of the two ladies)
facing us where as in the original photo (with the two ladies) 

this magazine is laying down flat. 

     

Update Jan 14th 2024

"Life Story" magazine

June 1942 was found by Matt!!

Thank you Matt.

Home Decor magazines

General Intrest Magazines

Music magazines

Chiapanecas (The Mexican Hand-Clapping Song)

Humor magazines & Humor comics

Comic books

Back page Superman #17

A page from Superman #17

shows other comic books that where on the shelf in the photo

 Here is the original line work for the cover above.

Cover artist for this magazine was Jack Kirby and Joe Simon

This is the first time that Jack Kirby draws a Thor.

This next five covers where updated with the help of 

Mr. Chris Rednour. Thank you Chris!

In the "other photo" from that same day, the Choice comic book is slightly open.

If you look closely inside you can hardly see it, 

but there is the word CITY from this "LOST CITY" story. 

Thank you Matt O'connor for this find!!

America's Best Comics, First issue

Rangers of Freedom Comics #5

Jun 16th, 1942

THE OTHERE PHOTO!!!

These are magazines that appear in the second photo from that same day

but due to being obscured by the two ladies, do not appear in the original photo.

Many of the next magazines where found by 

Matt O'Connor an amazing web detective friend.

MISSING ISSUES

Here are some magazines for which I could not find a color photo online for the exact issue from the same publication. 

In order to compare, I've placed a screenshot photo of the actual issue as it appears in the two ladies B&W photo.

"Your life"

 this is the missing issue

"White's Radio Log"

At the top of the wanted issue it should say

"Frequency Modulation"

That issu is missing (most likely it's the May 1942 Issue)

"Fifty Crosswords"

This is a 1941 issue

missing is the july 1942 issue

Select Stories"

"Digest and review"

The missing issue

 "The Digest About People and Events"  

 only one mention on the entire internet of this publication.  

It is located between Halt and Encore in the photo.

"Love Short Stories"

Missing Issue

"Connecticut Circle"

The missing Issue:

"All Story Love"

Missing issue:

"Popular Love"

Missing issue:

Here is a rear color footage of an actual pulp stand.

The Magic City: Manhattan in color in 1943

(It appears in the 11th Min & 20th sec of the movie)

I've researched the magazines in  the frame and found this one:

It's a July 1943 issue of "Startling Detective"