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 .
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.
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".
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
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.N et. Thank you Bill
Sci-Fi and Fantasy pulp magazines
Astounding Science-Fictio n 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
Here is the original cover art of the shadow (June 15th 1942) without the print.
Cover artist: George Rozen (1895-1973)
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
Film magazines
Sport magazines
War related magazines
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)
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
Music magazines
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
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
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"
The second item on the missing magazine is shorter then the first item, hans we do not have a color photo of the correct 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)
Select Stories"
"Digest and review"
The missing issue
"The Digest About People and Events"
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.
I've researched the magazines in the frame and found this one:
It's a July 1943 issue of "Startling Detective"
I've seen in Shorpy your fantastic work. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteFantastic ! I' ve seen your work in shorpy too. Remarkable work, really amazing. Congratulations !
ReplyDeleteYour diligence is impressive! I like the typo above the sf and fantasy magazines...like many sf readers (and writers, though I've infrequently published), I don't much care for the "sigh-fie" tag...and SHORT STORIES was a more general-fiction pulp, if adventure-story-oriented..."true detective" magazines weren't actually pulps, nor was ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE...and, unlike the pulps, both EQMM and the supposedly nonfiction magazines are still with us! JUDGE wasn't quite a comics magazine, though it did carry (mostly one-panel) comics...kind of a more gentle NATIONAL LAMPOON or less newsy THE ONION of its day. Very fine work, in aggregating these as much as in retouching the photo!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, and ARGOSY in those years was also an eclectic-fiction pulp magazine. It would shift toward being more a men's general-interest magazine (the hairy-chested version of ESQUIRE) in the next decade...
ReplyDeleteNow that's dedication. And what an assortment of covers! Fabulous work. Congratulations on finishing it!
ReplyDeleteAmazing work, outdone only by the patience and dedication needed to perform it.
ReplyDeleteIt's like you recreated May 1942! Thanks for your great work!
ReplyDeleteVery impressive!
ReplyDeleteBravo, bravo, bravo, I am particularly fond of this photo because my grandfather, Sabatino Apples, worked at SoHaCo in Southington and often went to buy newspapers in this resale.
ReplyDeleteBravo, bravo , bravo, io sono particolarmente affezionato a questa foto perchè mio nonno, Sabatino Mele, lavorava alla SoHaCo in Southington ed andava spesso a comprare i giornali in questa rivendita.
Magnificent work on your part.Most of those covers I have never seen before! Keep it up !
ReplyDeleteIs that colourized newstand picture available as a print?
ReplyDelete