A March 1943 issue music magazine…The Etude

 

Soldiers marching, a flag, a piano, two children and their grandfather…waiting for Daddy to come home. These images are featured on the cover of The Etude, a music magazine, in the March 1943 issue. The war was on everyone’s minds including the world’s musicians.

I had no idea about the numbers of vintage magazines showing lifestyles from the late 1880s and published through the 1950s. I recently started searching for original copies of the Delineator, a magazine published by the Butterick Company beginning in 1873.  I wrote a post about the Delineator last February. Here is the link for that post:

 

The Delineator. One Fine Magazine.

 

The Etude was first published 10 years after Delineator  found it’s place in the beginning era of the magazine market. I shopped in antique malls all around Dallas and Fort Worth…looking for vintage magazines.

 

You might call my shopping expeditions for old magazines a new obsession. Well…it is! At least, they are lots less expensive than new shoes!

 

 

 

The National Farm Journal, 1931…another day, another story

We were in Branson, Missouri recently. My husband reluctantly visited an antique mall with me…certainly not his favorite place unless they have old cars or tractors! Guess who found the most magazines? Hmmm…once he found a 1931 copy of The National Farm Journal, he found the store very interesting!

Back to The Etude…I’ll save The National Farm Journal for another day!  The Etude was a magazine dedicated to the study of music and to the joy found through music. The Etude was published in the United States  and founded by Theodore Presser in Lynchburg, Virginia. The first publication date was in October, 1883. After moving their publishing company to Philadelphia in 1884, The Etude continued to be published until 1957. The magazine was directed towards new students of music to the professional musician performing on a stage.

Music literature and music history stories were interwoven with politics, gossip and even advice columns about musical instruction and teaching methods. Musical compositions at every level were included in each issue that I have seen. As The Etude attempted to grow as the years moved forward, editorial content accepted new inventions such as radio and the record player as well as the emerging television industry. 

Since one of the issues that I found was published during World War II, articles about soldiers were included…the covers during this time period tended to reflect the national concerns. If you closely at the cover of The Etude at the top of this post, you will see the words “When ‘Daddy’ comes marching home again, Hurrah, Hurrah!”, the word ‘Daddy’ replacing  ‘Danny’ from a Civil War song. The Etude featured classical music as well as significant World War II songs such as “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” sung by The Andrews Sisters in 1941…

 

 

 

Just as The Andrews Sisters helped to boost the morale of soldiers during World War II through their music, musicians serving in the various service branches did the same. The Etude published an article in their March 1943 issue about “The Violinist in Army Life”.  The last paragraph puts words to the thoughts of other young men from all walks of life…but, specifically to the musicians who were called to serve their country…

 

“If his practice has been intelligent and systematic, his playing has, at the very least, been kept up to par, and the rigors of Army training have been softened. Above all, he has, by his talent, given enjoyment and entertainment to hundreds of appreciative fellow soldiers- which in itself is sufficient incentive for remaining a violinist while training to be a soldier.”

 

And for that musical gift of enjoyment to the soldiers in World War II…my Dad included…we are indeed thankful. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/lifestyle/