Comments on: The Whole Year Through: The Children’s Friend, 1958

By: Todd G.

Todd G. — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:13:36 +0000

I was just over one year old at the beginning of 1958. My earliest memories (a few years later) still reflect the carefree and adventurous hikes in the woods and simply walking to school.

Good ol’ days for sure.

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:11:58 +0000

Personal for me as well, as I was born in September of 1958. These are awesome!

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:59:29 +0000

Gary, the Children's Friend was *far* more colorful than the covers of the other magazines of the era. The Improvement Era that year did have a handful of full color reproductions of religious paintings, but other months were virtually black and white (green and white, peach and white ...). Even when they featured a sunny piece of scenery, it was framed by black branches and foliage that give kind of an eerie feel. The Instructor featured portraits or other images that could be used as visual aids in Sunday School, mostly monotones. The Relief Society Magazine covers all look to me like calendar art versions of nature scenes, except for the Christmas issue which featured a Madonna. The CF was the only magazine with such colorful covers, or with any whimsy about them. And I don't know about 1958 in particular, but other years in that era I have positive evidence that the covers were produced in house or by an artist commissioned to produce them specifically for the CF.

By: Gary Bergera

Gary Bergera — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:31:15 +0000

Ardis, How do these covers compare to the covers of the Church’s other magazines? More/less colorful? More/less playful? Do we know if the art was produced in-house?
These are great.Thanks.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:36:34 +0000

Ah, what a great year 1958 was–even with the birth of my baby brother that June! Other than the skunks and the skiing, it looks a lot like my memories of that year, only clearer.

By: The Other Clark

The Other Clark — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:06:20 +0000

Fantastic. I really enjoy looking at how the printing industry has changed over the decades. These two color covers are great examples of the art (three colors really, two+black). Evidently, ad sales were good enough in Sept and December to go full color.

Thanks for posting.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:17:19 +0000

Thanks, John. I love it when someone points out that a post is personal.

By: John Hoffs

John Hoffs — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 14:44:04 +0000

I adore this “Whole Year Through.” I was seven days old when 1958 began. I love that this was the world I was born into! Thanks for posting!!!