Lampy's Home Journal (W.R. Bowie, Jr.) - Harvard Lampoon - April, 1940 - 52 pages

The Ladies' Home Journal began publication in 1883.  It was known as one of the "Seven Sisters" of women's magazines.  The Journal continued to be primarily a monthly publication until 2014 when it became a quarterly magazine.  Unlike other parodies of the day, the Lampoon did not fill their issue with advertisement parodies but instead concentrated on the inanity of the articles published by LHJ and her sisters.  The feature story of the magazine parody is "Antonia" by "Daphnis du Smythe-Heather".  This "novel complete in this issue" rambles on through seven pages and makes no sense at all.  Antonia is apparently a parody of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier that was a popular novel among women at the time.  At one point the unnamed female narrator relates that "I was speaking French when Henri de la Neige, a cold-blooded cousin of Antonia's, dropped in unexpectedly for a drink.  'Hello,' he said.  'Are you the new bride?'  'Oui,' I said in flawless Ukrainian ... 'I want to see Antonia,' he 'lowed as how.  'I loved her, but she daid,' he added, lapsing into Norwegian."  Other works of fiction, fashion, homemaking, interior decoration, etc. in Lampy's are equally nonsensical.  I am not an expert on the LHJ but I flipped through some issues in the past as my mother would often buy it.  Lampy's used some clever artwork to distract the reader from the meaningless text.  The cover is a photograph of a man wearing makeup and a wig covered with bows and flowers.  Under the photo is the statement: "The Lampoon has the largest unpaid circulation of any magazine in the world."  There is also a parody of the Munro Leaf (1905-1971) Watchbird  cartoon series that appeared in LHJ for many years.  Of special interest is the real advertisement on the inside front cover for Camel.  The ad shows four members of the Admiral Byrd expedition to Antarctica posing with husky dogs and loading cases of cigarettes onto their ship for the long trip.  The Camel ad also makes the following claim: "In recent laboratory tests, CAMELS burned 25% slower than the average of the 15 other of the largest-selling brands tested - slower than any of them.  That means, on the average, a smoking plus equal to 5 EXTRA SMOKES PER PACK!"  [JAM 7/19/2015]

Front cover - Rather ugly woman
Inside front cover - "U.S. Antarctic Expedition Off For Year's Survey" (real cigarette ad)
2 - Contents
4 - Fifty Years Ago in the Journal; Journal About Town
7 - The Sub-Deb by Elizabeth J.P. Wildwood (with Pogo Party drawing by Irvin B.)
9 - Letter from Mrs. Bertha Beem; Youth And Fiction by Malcolmia Thompson
11 - Antonia by Daphnis du Smythe-Heather
12 - Scalpels in Scarlet by Franken B.D. Mahogany (drawing by Randy Bloomberg)
14 - Quelle Debacle by Betty W. R. Sims; Hearts (poetry by Helene Mullions)
16 - It's Tweedy Time Tonight by Wadheela Pushem
17 - "Lovelies" Paradox in Pastel by Mandy Johnson
18 - Nightcap Kiss by Eliza J.P. Baroque
19 - What do the Women of America Think About SEX by Gustaf Stodge, M.D.
20 - Ann Backslapper's Line a day (drawing by Hugo)
21 - Double Fault by Rustcroft Norris (drawing by Arthur William Bench)
22 - How America Lives: Meet the Meeleys (drawing by Irving Rich)
24 - Room with a Phew by Henrietta Haycock
25 - Put a New Complexion in the Case - Try our Skin Game
26 - Bass Relief by Ann Backslapper
28 - This is Munroe Leaf by Munroe Waif (Watchbird cartoon parody)
39 - The Dear Man (cartoon by Helm Holderson)
42 - Oft on a Windy Crag (poetry by Daniel Whitehead Thicky); Sweet Sentiment (poetry by Louise Ibid)
44 - Mold the Moustache, Mother by Dr. Vernon Bandersnatch
45 - Mother's Reflections (poetry by Margie B. Farrarya)
46 - Mother's Question Box
48 - As the Twig is Bent by Leslie P. Hormone, M.D. (drawing by FRH)
51 - Diary of Domesticity by Clothilda Tuber
52 - Journal's End by Ann Backslapper
Back cover - Chesterfield with Cowgirl Francesca (Turner) Sims (1917-1999) of Texas, Chesterfield Girl of the Month (real ad)