McCall Corporation
Encyclopedia
McCall Corporation was an American publishing company that produced some popular magazines. These included Redbook
for women, Bluebook
for men, McCall's
, the Saturday Review, and Popular Mechanics
. It also published Better Living, a magazine that was distributed solely through grocery stores.
and Bluebook
were purchased in 1929. The Saturday Review was purchased in 1961.
In later years, Marvin Pierce
, the father of Barbara Bush
, served as the McCall Corporation's president.
A controlling stake in the company was bought by Norton Simon
's Hunt Foods
in 1956. It became a division of Norton Simon Inc., along with Hunt and Canada Dry
, in 1968.
The Saturday Review was sold in 1971, and McCall's was sold in 1973, both to groups of private investors. Redbook was sold to the Charter Company
in 1975.
host Rosie O'Donnell
to capitalize on the success of Oprah Winfrey
's O: The Oprah Magazine for the Hearst Corporation
. The magazine ceased publication in 2002.
Blue Book had its name modified to Bluebook, and remained a short story magazine until McCall's discontinued publication in 1956.
Red Book had its name modified to Redbook and evolved into a general interest magazine that published fiction and nonfiction. It is now owned by Hearst Corporation, and has a target audience of women.
McCall Corporation purchased the magazine in 1961. It changed ownership several times after 1977, and ceased publication in 1986.
Redbook
Redbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...
for women, Bluebook
Blue Book (magazine)
Blue Book was a popular 20th-century American magazine with a lengthy 70-year run under various titles from 1905 to 1975.Launched as The Monthly Story Magazine, it was published under that title from May 1905 to August 1906 with a change to The Monthly Story Blue Book Magazine for issues from...
for men, McCall's
McCall's
McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
, the Saturday Review, and Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics is an American magazine first published January 11, 1902 by H. H. Windsor, and has been owned since 1958 by the Hearst Corporation...
. It also published Better Living, a magazine that was distributed solely through grocery stores.
History
The company is named after the founder of its namesake magazine, James McCall, who was a Scottish tailor. RedbookRedbook
Redbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...
and Bluebook
Blue Book (magazine)
Blue Book was a popular 20th-century American magazine with a lengthy 70-year run under various titles from 1905 to 1975.Launched as The Monthly Story Magazine, it was published under that title from May 1905 to August 1906 with a change to The Monthly Story Blue Book Magazine for issues from...
were purchased in 1929. The Saturday Review was purchased in 1961.
In later years, Marvin Pierce
Marvin Pierce
Marvin Pierce was president of McCall Corporation, the publisher of the popular women's magazines Redbook and McCall's.-Biography:...
, the father of Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush is the wife of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She is the mother of the 43rd President George W. Bush and of the 43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush...
, served as the McCall Corporation's president.
A controlling stake in the company was bought by Norton Simon
Norton Simon
Norton Winfred Simon , in the United States was a millionaire industrialist and philanthropist based in California. A significant art collector, he is the namesake of the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California.-Early life:...
's Hunt Foods
Hunt's
Hunt's is the name of a brand of preserved tomato products owned by ConAgra Foods, Inc. The company was founded in 1888, in Sebastopol, California, as the Hunt Bros. Fruit Packing Co. by Joseph and William Hunt. The brothers relocated to nearby Santa Rosa in 1890, and then to Hayward in 1895...
in 1956. It became a division of Norton Simon Inc., along with Hunt and Canada Dry
Canada Dry
Canada Dry is a brand of soft drinks owned since 2008 by the Texas-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group. For over a century Canada Dry has been known for its ginger ale, though the company also manufactures a number of other soft drinks and mixers...
, in 1968.
The Saturday Review was sold in 1971, and McCall's was sold in 1973, both to groups of private investors. Redbook was sold to the Charter Company
Charter Company
The Charter Company of Jacksonville, Florida was a conglomerate with more than 180 subsidiaries that was in the Fortune 500 for 11 years beginning in 1974 and ranked 61st in 1984 before it sought bankruptcy protection in late 1984 and spiraled into obscurity....
in 1975.
McCall's Magazine
McCall's began as a four-page fashion journal entitled The Queen: Illustrating McCall's Bazaar Glove-Fitting Patterns. It would become one of the country's leading women's magazines. Its name was changed to Rosie in 2001 as part of a partnership with then-talk showTalk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
to capitalize on the success of Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
's O: The Oprah Magazine for the Hearst Corporation
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
. The magazine ceased publication in 2002.
Blue Book and Red Book a/k/a Bluebook and Redbook
In 1929, McCall's Corporation purchased two short story magazines.Blue Book had its name modified to Bluebook, and remained a short story magazine until McCall's discontinued publication in 1956.
Red Book had its name modified to Redbook and evolved into a general interest magazine that published fiction and nonfiction. It is now owned by Hearst Corporation, and has a target audience of women.
Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics began publication in 1902. By the late 1930s, it was owned by McCall Corporation. The magazine is now owned by the Hearst Corporation, and has a circulation of nine million readers.Saturday Review
From 1920 to 1924, Literary Review was a Saturday supplement to the New York Evening Post. In 1924, it became a separate publication entitled The Saturday Review of Literature In 1942, the name was shortened to The Saturday Review.McCall Corporation purchased the magazine in 1961. It changed ownership several times after 1977, and ceased publication in 1986.
Better Living
In 1951, McCall Corporation began publishing Better Living. The 100-page monthly magazine sold for five cents, and was distributed through stores that were members of the Super Market Institute. It ceased publication in 1956.See also
- Blue BookBlue Book (magazine)Blue Book was a popular 20th-century American magazine with a lengthy 70-year run under various titles from 1905 to 1975.Launched as The Monthly Story Magazine, it was published under that title from May 1905 to August 1906 with a change to The Monthly Story Blue Book Magazine for issues from...
- McCall'sMcCall'sMcCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
- Popular MechanicsPopular MechanicsPopular Mechanics is an American magazine first published January 11, 1902 by H. H. Windsor, and has been owned since 1958 by the Hearst Corporation...
- RedbookRedbookRedbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...
- Saturday Review