Some extracts from "Woman's Magazine": July 1947

A further ramble through the postwar magazine archives. This is quite a little gem. And little it is: 19 cms by 13.5 cms which as the "A size" astute reader will know straight away is slightly smaller than A5  Once again, colour is used sparingly but to telling effect, mostly but not exclusively for the advertisements. The exterior front and back covers are, as usual, in colour. There's a real treat waiting inside the back cover: an advertisement for Double Two shirts with a really stunning illustration by Pierre Simon, who illustrated, amongst others, for Balenciaga and Christian Dior. The shirt's fluent drawing of the red stripes is handled superbly well and their delicacy is emphasised by the thick horizontals behind. All so sparingly done. You can tell he was a star because the illustration is signed. The front cover could easily have been drawn by Simon too but as we all know, these things are catching and we are all creatures to a greater or lesser extent, of the times we work in. There are many anonymous talents at work putting these publications together.

Amongst other things the various instances of hand lettering particularly catch the eye, as does the title and banner typography. The quality of illustration is generally rather higher than that of the photography. The other thing that strikes me in this edition is just how well the quarter and half page black and white advertisements work. There are some miniatures masterpieces of deft, economical illustration. Anyway, enough blurb: enjoy a browse.