1860/1861 The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine - An Illustrated Journal Combining Practical Information, Instruction and Amusement. By Isabella Beeton Volume 1 & 2 in one binding has 288 and 336 pages has With 13 Hand Coloured Engraved Fashion Plates and two Folding Plates and Many B/W illustrations throughout text. Contemporary Half Calf binding. Five raised bands to the spine, size 5½” × 8½” and 1¾” thick. (In 1856 Samuel Beeton persuaded his wife, Isabella, to be a joint editor with him in a new publishing venture, a monthly paper called The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine. Initially priced at 2d, this was the first cheap magazine for young middle-class women, and it was an immediate success, with circulation of 50,000 copies by 1856. Isabella wrote domestic material, embroidery patterns, cooking, and dressmaking from 1855 until her early death in 1865. The contents also included a range of serial fiction, biographical sketches, gardening and medical tips and correspondence page. There was always a strong emphasis on practical instruction and useful knowledge. In May 1860 the price increased, the Beetons directed their journal to a wealthier more fashionable readership. Included were coloured plates, more emphasis on fiction and fashion, wear to spine, fragile boards