FROM THE EDITOR
Aspecial welcome to this very special issue of Good Housekeeping, in which we celebrate 95 years at the heart of British society – championing women and all the good things in life. Right from the first issue, which went on sale on 22 February, 1922, Good Housekeeping was about so much more than, well, good housekeeping. The intentions for the publication were made clear on this very page: ‘The burning questions of the day will be reflected each month in articles by women in the public eye, known for their sound grasp of their subject – by women who can lead women, and who are fearless, frank, and outspoken.’ However – as was the norm at that time – the Editor who wrote those words was a man, James Mcpeake. Sadly, just two years later, while on a trip to New York to see the magazine’s owner, William Randolph Hearst (later immortalised as Citizen Kane), Mcpeake was taken ill and tragically died aboard the Queen Mary. Controversially, the Editorship passed to his assistant, Alice Head, who rose to the challenge by starting up the Good Housekeeping Institute to test recipes and products mentioned in the magazine.
She also brought in feminists to write about political and social issues – another tradition that we honour to this day. Among those featured in Good Housekeeping were writer Virginia Woolf, politician Violet Bonham Carter (the grandmother of actress Helena) and Millicent Fawcett, a feminist and intellectual at the forefront of the fight for votes for women. Some of the topics tackled were: Should Wives Have Wages?, Some Questions On Divorce, and A Woman Needs A Car (it keeps her out of a domestic rut and adds much to life).
Alice Head remained at the helm of GH for the next 15 years – during which time it was rumoured that she was the highest paid woman in Britain. A relative of hers once told me that Great Aunt Alice always wore an enormous diamond brooch on her coat, on the grounds that no mugger would ever think it was real! Just two ways in which she differed from the current incumbent…
It is an honour to follow in the footsteps of not only Alice, but also the other talented, inspirational, ground-breaking women who’ve made this magazine what it is. I am also delighted that this year I equal Alice’s record of 15 years in the Editor’s chair (I joined GH in 1999, but spent three years in a corporate role with our parent company, so I can’t really count that).
These days, Good Housekeeping has moved on, with a thriving website where you’ll find 4,500+ Triple-tested recipes, 4,350+ product reviews, and our trusted GH advice. There’s also a state-of-the-art Good Housekeeping Institute and a gleaming Cookery School. But our mission remains the same as it was in 1922 – to produce a magazine ‘that shall worthily meet the needs of the woman of today’. I like to think that Alice Head would be proud.
‘This month, we celebrate 95 years at the heart of British society, championing women’
PS Why not join us for lunch in our private area at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show? Your VIP ticket includes entry to the show on Saturday, 27 May, access to the GH Jardin Blanc hospitality area, a flower arranging masterclass with Sarah Raven, lunch and refreshments throughout the day and a special goody bag. Visit goodhousekeeping.co.uk/jardinblanc for more details.