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The progress of romance in teen magazines:

husband, boyfriend… girlfriend?Elizabeth Lovegrove x Publishing, School of Arts

@ejlovegrove

Images from @GirlsOwn

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Boys are still boys, and girls are still girls, and falling in love is still falling in love. Not even war changes this wonderful and eternal law (Girl’s Friend 5 September 1914: 315)

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Husband

If she truly loves this young fellow to whom she is engaged, if she is sure of his affections, and if he has the means to buy a home and keep her, she should agree to marry him. (Girl’s Friend 10 March 1900: 284)

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Husband

Mum and Dad will just have to grin and bear it… Tell them they’ll never get you off their hands if they won’t give you a chance to do your courting! (Roxy 16 January 1960: 23)

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Husband

I suppose every girl is searching for the right man before she gets married. That’s what life’s all about. (Honey September 1967: 41)

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Husband

My Dear Girls,—“I am eighteen years old,” one of you told me the other day. “Do you think this too young an age at which to become engaged?”

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Husband

Do I? Yes, I most certainly do! And so, little girl who wrote that letter, I advise you—don’t! Not yet!… Have you taken time to think how very, very final and solemn that promise is? Have you ever thought how difficult it would be to break? Have you ever thought how it would be if you WANTED to break it?

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Husband

I don’t expect you have, for eighteen is so very gay and joyous and inconsequential an age. It’s so hard to think seriously when you’re eighteen, so very hard to decide and think wisely when romance calls. (Girl’s Favourite 17 January 1925: 583)

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Husband

Boyfriend believes that weddings between people who are young in years as well as in heart are the stuff of romance. Each week here you will read a story of courtship and all the love that blossoms… (Boyfriend 23 January 1960: 24)

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Boyfriend

I have liked this girl for about a year. When I plucked up the courage to ask her out, because she finished with her boyfriend, she said yes immediately. But now her mum says she shouldn’t see me because it’s too soon after her last guy, whom her mum liked a lot.

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Boyfriend

She’s forbidden her to see me and as my girlfriend doesn’t want to go against her mum, she’s very upset. Her dad says it’s up to her who she goes out with. (My Guy 19 April 1980:31)

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Boyfriend

It is… very obvious from F.S.’s… confession that love has not yet entered her life, and until it does she has no business to accept the close attentions of any man. She has my assurance that when she does fall in love she will have no room in her thoughts for any but one person. (Girl’s Friend 15 August 1914:260)

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Boyfriend

You want everything, don’t you? Still, the fact that you have realised you are a flirt is probably the first step to settling down a bit. (Honey September 1967:78)

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Boyfriend

I don’t see how you can find out whether or not boys are likely to be as casual as you want them to be if you don’t go out with them. Go on accepting dates if you like the look of the boys…

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Boyfriend

…as soon as one shows signs of getting too involved, be honest and say you don’t feel the same way. This gives the boys a chance to break away. (Petticoat 10 January 1970: 39)

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Boyfriend

Dating’s a sign you’re interested in each other, but it’s also a chance to suss out if you want to take the relationship further (Bliss April 1999: 67)

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Girlfriend?

I can’t bear boys to kiss me. I’ve dated fellows I’ve been keen on, but I still shudder and tense up when they come near me.

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Girlfriend?

Please don’t think there’s anything wrong with you… Wait until YOU feel you want to—and don’t worry. The day will come (Jackie 11 April 1964:10)

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Girlfriend?

Your sexuality is something over which you have little choice or control. Some people are homosexual, some are heterosexual and some fluctuate between the two. It isn’t really a question of normality. You are what you are and we should all try to make the best of what we’ve got. (J17 16 November 1988: 52)

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Girlfriend?

I’m 13, nearly 14, and started my periods about four months ago. I’m really worried as I haven’t had one since. It can’t be that I’m pregnant, as I’ve never snogged a boy, let alone anything else.

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Girlfriend?

One thing that worries me is that I’m very close to my girlfriend. We often lie on top of each other and stuff like that. But her periods haven’t stopped. Are we normal doing this and what’s happened to my periods?

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Girlfriend?

Lots of girls mess about doing things like this, mainly because it feels nice and also helps satisfy their curiosity (a bit, anyway) about making love.

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Girlfriend?

This kind of touching and rolling about is usually just a passing phase and isn’t a problem, although I don’t expect you’d want anyone to walk in on you while it was going on! (Mizz 18 January 1995:48)

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Girlfriend?

I’ve wondered for a while if I’m a lesbian […] over the last year, I’ve realised that I’ve become attracted to my best mate’s sister. I want to talk to my mate about it, ‘cause I’m really distracted when her sister’s around, but I’m afraid of her reaction and losing our friendship. (Bliss March 1999:109)

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What’s the point of all the romance?

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Magazines advise girls about boys

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Magazines advise girls about boys

Girls learn how to be romantically

interested in boys

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Magazines advise girls about boys

Boys are strange and need to be

interpreted

Girls learn how to be romantically

interested in boys

w

Magazines advise girls about boys

Boys are strange and need to be

interpreted

Girls learn to rely on magazine

advice

Girls learn how to be romantically

interested in boys

w

Magazines advise girls about boys

Boys are strange and need to be

interpreted

Girls learn to rely on magazine

advice

Girls learn how to be romantically

interested in boys

GIRLS KEEP BUYING

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