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Challenging the Queen. By 1943 the Journal was queen of the field. Its circulation of 4,375,000 ranked it as the largest women's magazine in the world, and it continued to grow. By 1953 it had 5,000,000. by 1960, 6,000,000. But editorially, the magazine had lost some of its steam. With few alterations, it remained the same product that the Goulds had conceived in 1935.
In 1958 the Journal abruptly found itself in an unladylike contest for the throne. That year McCall's, equipped with a vigorous new editor, Herbert Mayes, and plenty of money from its new proprietor, West Coast Industrialist Norton Simon, set out to topple the complacent queen. By 1961, McCall's had passed the Journal in both ad revenue ($37.6 million to $27.1 million) and total circulation (7,400,000 to 7,200,000), though the Journal still enjoyed a narrow lead in newsstand sales.
Stepping Aside. To beleaguered Curtis, which has spent a fortune refurbishing the slipping Saturday Evening Post—without yet reversing its downhill course—the time had come for a change at the Journal. Not only the Goulds were affected.
Wilhela Cushman, Journal fashion editor for 25 years, stepped aside for Catherine di Montezemolo (maiden name: Murray), wife of an Italian marchese and a Vogue senior fashion editor for the past eight years.
The Journal's new editor, 33-year-old Curtiss M. Anderson, was hand-picked by the Goulds as their successor. A graduate of the University of Minnesota ('51), he spent nine years with Des Moines's Meredith Publishing Co. (Better Homes and Gardens). He joined the Journal in 1960 as an associate editor, moved up to managing editor last year. Well aware that he will have his hands full regaining the magazine's lost diadem, crew-cut Curt Anderson (he is now letting his hair grow out) is keeping his own counsel. "The Journal's basic character will be retained." he said, "but there will be changes." At week's end the Goulds quietly slipped off to the Bahamas for an extended rest. "Our career on the Journal," said 63-year-old Bruce Gould, "has never seemed a task. It has been more like a continuous and absorbing conversation with friends on matters of mutual concern about the home, the community and the world. But the time always comes to step aside and let somebody else take over."
* The Journal, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, Pictorial Review, Delineator and Woman's Home Companion. Only three survive today.
Delineator folded in 1937, Pictorial Review in 1939, and Companion in 1957.