Featured image: Tim Durham
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The History of The Saturday Evening Post, Part 1: Founding an American Institution
How did The Saturday Evening Post become America’s longest-lived magazine? Well, we had help…from Benjamin Franklin.
Comments
It’s ironic that Ben Franklin never got to see his ‘Philadelphia Gazette’ be reborn as ‘The Saturday Evening Post’ 31 years after his death in 1790, but was also spared seeing his beloved publication shut down for 21 years. The rebirth would have thrilled him, faithfully retaining Franklin’s editorial style, virtues and features so close to his heart.
I know a lot more of the details of how the publication evolved and one of its earliest reinventions of itself. The name, The Saturday Evening Post, may have started because of a mail delivery date, but is just such a fantastic name for a publication, period! Whether you see it written out or spoken aloud, it commands attention and respect few if any other publications have, past or present.
Looking forward to the future videos that explore the Post’s odyssey from 1821 forward. This one lays out the foundation for those yet to come. It’s more than a publication and companion website. It is one of the institutions we as Americans can still be very proud of, and hold in high regard. In 2021 that means more than ever before.
Thank you Tim Durham for the wonderful opening shot of the mid-late 1962 logo by the way. Great job.