The Girls I Knew Vol. 1

The Girls I Knew Vol. 1

A new fictional feature entitled “The Girls I Knew,” by Emily Calvin Blake, debuted in Ladies Home Journal on September 1, 1910. The series follows impressionable Margaret and various friendships that influence her social, moral and sartorial development. The series is a humorous addition to the prescriptive literature that is interleaved between advertisements for clothing, beauty products and sewing projects, as Margaret’s errors meet the mostly gentle reproach of her family. The anxiety of changing gender roles is evident in “The Girls I Knew,” as Margaret confronts and is changed by characters that represent types of modern femininity.

The Ladies Home Journal 1910

Washington University Modern Graphic History Library

1910

Emily Calvin Blake, Author

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