The Shopping Notes were self-published by Janet Kromer and printed by Valiant Printing. The magazine was not subscription based, but privately circulated. When it ended publication, Janet Kromer’s Shopping Notes was sent to 3400 households and had an extensive waiting list.
Janet’s own description from the very first issue, published in September of 1948, describes the magazine: “I hope eventually to make it an inclusive shopping guide as well as a woman’s magazine with a distinctly Albuquerque flavor.”
The magazine was made up of a series of regular articles directed at the homemaker. These articles include a shopping guide, recipes, gossip column, and regular features on the arts.
The Shopping Notes capture a snapshot of 1950s Albuquerque in a way no other publication does, as it is exclusively about the city. Additionally, contributing writers for the Shopping Notes went on to be prominent business women throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
To learn more about this collection, click here.
